ACTION OF COLD ON THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 12Q 



11. Exposure of the Skin to Cold often causes Disease of 

 the Digestive Organs. Every one knows that eating 

 certain tilings, as unripe fruit, is apt to cause colic and 

 diarrhoea. But a more frequent cause of these com- 

 plaints is insufficient clothing. A man goes out on a 

 summer morning with no cotton or woollen under-gar- 

 ments, gets very hot at his day's work, comes home 

 tired, and not able to withstand any extra strain on his 

 organs. By way of becoming cooled and refreshed, he 

 sits, with no extra clothing, in a draught. This chills the 

 skin unduly, and the blood driven from it (p. 78) col- 

 lects in internal organs in excessive quantity. A com- 

 mon result is that the person feels chilly and uncom- 

 fortable before going to bed, and is awakened in the 

 night suffering from colic and diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is 

 nearly always due to excessive secretion by the mucous 

 membrane lining the bowels. This being inflamed 

 secretes excess of waterly liquid, like the membrane lining 

 the nose in a "cold in the head." In both cases watery 

 matter that ought to have been carried off by the skin is 

 driven back to the interior. Draughts should always be 

 avoided, but especially if the underclothing be damp 

 with perspiration. Its rapid evaporation, by cooling the 

 skin (p. 67) very fast, much increases the danger. If, 

 in such circumstances, you have to sit in a current of 

 air, throw an extra wrap around you, at least until the 

 clothes next the skin have become dry. You will thus 

 gain your end of getting to feel cool, nearly as soon as 



ii. What is apt to result from eating unripe fruit? What is a 

 more common cause of colic ? Example ? To what is diarrhoea 

 directly due ? When should draughts be especially avoided ? Why ? 

 What should be done if you cannot avoid sitting in a draught when 

 perspiring ? 



