CURING A COLD. 



301 



Having led a pure and blameless life, I am justified in believing that no man 

 who knows me will reject the suggestions I am about to make, out of fear that 

 I am trying to deceive him. Let the public do itself the honor to read my 

 experience in doctoring a cold, as herein set forth, and then follow in my 

 footsteps. 



When the "White House was burned in Virginia City,- 1 lost my home, my 

 happin,ess, my constitution, and my trunk. The loss of the two first-named 

 articles was a matter of no great consequence, since a home without a mother 

 or a sister, or a distant young female relative in it, to remind you, by putting 

 your soiled linen out of sight and taking your boots down off the mantel-piece, 

 that there are those who think about you and care for you, is easily obtained. 

 And I cared nothing for the loss of rriy happiness, because not being a poet, it 

 could not be possible that melancholy would abide with me long. But to lose 

 a good constitution and a better trunk were serious misfortunes. On the day 

 of the fire my constitution succumbed to a severe cold, caused by undue exertion 

 in getting ready to do something. I suffered to no purpose, too, because the 

 plan I was figuring at for the extinguishing of the fire was so elaborate that !■ 

 never got it completed until the middle of the following week. 



The first time I began to sneeze, a friend told me to go and bathe my feet in 

 hot water and go to bed. I did so. Shortly afterwards, another friend advised 

 me to get up and take a cold shower-bath. I did that also. Within the hour, 

 another friend assured me that it was policy to "feed a cold and starve a feven" 

 I had both. So I thought it best to fill myself up for the cold, and then keep 

 dark -and let the fever starve awhile. 



In a case of this kind, I seldom do things by halves ; I ate pretty heartily ; I 

 conferred my custom upon a stranger who had just opened his restaurant that 

 morning : he waited near me in respectful silence until I had finished feeding 

 my cold, when he inquired if the people about Virginia City were much afflicted 

 with colds .' I told him I thought they were. He then went out and took in 

 his sign. 



I started down toward the office, and on the way encountered another bosom 

 friend, who tpld. me that a quart of salt water, taken warm, would come as near 



