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The therapeutical effects of cold are more important to us 
in this climate than is the consideration of its devitalizing powers. 
Cold is often applied to the surface of the body for the purpose 
of reducing the temperature; the general cold bath may be made 
to reduce the temperature of the body as much as ten degrees' 
Fahrenheit; in the extremities it may be reduced even lower than this. 
The normal temperature of the body is speedily restored after being 
reduced by the cold bath; the extremities may remain cold for some 
hours. A cold bath of course abstracts heat from the body, for the 
water of the bath becomes warmer, but in health this loss of heat is 
rapidly restored. A moist hot skin is much more comfortable than a 
dry hot one. This is probably due to two causes; first the relief 
experienced from the blood-vessels of the sudoriparous glands unload¬ 
ing themselves by the production of sweat, and secondly by the supple¬ 
ness given the skin from the presence of the perspiration, and pleasant 
cooling sensations due to evaporation. The lowering of the tempera¬ 
ture by means of the cold water bath or cold sheet, in fever stricken 
patients is considerable and durable. There is no doubt but what the 
cold abstracts more or less heat from the body, but what prevents the 
temperature from rising to the previous standard ? Does the cold 
prevent the unnatural formation of heat? If so in what manner does 
it accomplish this result ? If the elevated temperature of fevers is due 
to the active tissue changes taking place, then will the application of 
cold, I believe, in a measure prevent the unnatural formation of heat, 
and it does so by giving to the nucleus an increased power of resisting 
unnatural influences, thereby diminishing the activity of the tissue 
change. Cold when judiciously employed is a powerful tonic. A cold 
climate is both tonic and bracing. The loss of heat which takes place 
during the exposure of the healthy body to cold is compensated for, 
and the temperature maintained by increased combustion. There is 
no doubt but what there is increased oxidation of the tissues, for there 
is a greatly increased quantity of CO 2 thrown off by the lungs. 
On exposure to cold the lungs absorb more oxygen than at other times, 
so that the processes of construction and destruction are more rapid 
than in a warmer temperature. Hence, a more vigorous health is 
maintained in a cold climate, for when destruction of the tissues ceases, 
further assimilation of the nutritive materials of the blood comes to 
an end; formation in the adult being limited by the destruction. The 
destructive changes take place in proportion to the amount of oxygen 
absorbed; hence, when this gas is exhausted, many products of destruc¬ 
tion remain only partially oxidized, so that further tissue disintegra¬ 
tion ceases, and assimilation as a matter ot course is suspended. 
