350 THE PRESERVATION OF HEALTH 



503. When Clothing takes Fire the sufferer should lie down 

 at once and roll over and over to smother the flame. Stand- 

 ing up allows the fire to reach the head and perhaps to be 

 breathed into the lungs, while running fans the flame and 

 makes it spread. A rug or any woolen garment at hand 

 should be thrown over the sufferer, care being taken to 

 cover neck and shoulders first, and so to force the fire 

 downward, away from the head and face. 



504. Frost Bites. Intense cold destroys the cells of the 

 surface, as does intense heat. Fingers, toes, nose, and ears 

 are the parts first "bitten." They become colorless and 

 insensible, showing that the circulation in the frozen part 

 has ceased. Every sort of warmth must be avoided till 

 the circulation has been gradually restored. Rub the 

 chilled parts hard with snow or with ice water until 

 sensibility and color return. 



Parts which have been frozen generally remain particu 

 larly sensitive to cold. Chilblains often result from very 

 slight exposure and cause much discomfort. The parts 

 so affected should be bathed often, care being taken to 

 wipe them perfectly dry, and they should not be brought 

 near a fire, as heat increases the irritation. 



505. Sunstroke, or Thermic Fever, results from exposure 

 to extreme heat from the direct rays of the sun or other 

 source. Anything which lowers the vitality of the body 

 such as great fatigue, ill health, and the use of alcoholic 

 drinks helps to render one susceptible to the effects of 

 high temperatures. When the air is stagnant and loaded 

 with moisture as well as very hot, as it may be in close, 

 confined rooms or streets, there is greater danger of sun- 

 stroke than when the atmosphere is dry and circulates 

 freely, though the thermometer may stand, higher. 



A person suffering from heat fever is prostrated sud- 



