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Beware! It’s Open Season for Colds
By WILLIAM C. UTLEY
F OIt the love of Mike, button up
that overcoat! And stay out of
draughts! And don’t get your
feet wet!
The hey-dey period for the common
cold Is just around the corner. For if
there can be said to he one time of
the year when more people catch cold
than any other, statistics and health
surveys indicate that that period em
braces the latter half of January and
the first half of February.
Now is the time to think of protect
ing yourself against the ever-present
threat of the most common affliction
of mankind—the common cold, which,
for its very commonness, is also per
haps mankind’s most neglected af
fliction.
How many, many of us, asked if we
were not feeling a little upset, have
tossed off the question with a sniffle
and a reply to the effect that ‘‘Oh, it’s
only a little cold. It’ll pass away
soon!”
That is perhaps excusable on the
grounds that an ordinary cold is not
productive of terrible suffering, so long
as it develops no complications. What
we are probably most unwise in over
looking is the frequency witli which
such complications occur. Here is an
illustration:
How Dangerous Colds Are.
We read with horror of thousands
who die in Hood, tornadoes, fires, gun
accidents, falls, asphyxiation and the
dozens of other catastrophes which are
classed as accidental. Today the en
tire nation is up in arms, so to speak,
in a campaign to cut down the alarm
ing annual toll of fatal motor vehicle
deaths. Yet there are in America more
deaths every year from pneumonia
than from all accidental causes com
bined. Pneumonia almost invariably
begins with an ordinary cold!
And we say, “Oh, it’s only a little
cold!”
Colds cost the people of the United
States more than one and one-half bil
lion dollars a year, according to the
United States public health service.
They are responsible for an average
loss of two and one-half days every
year for every worker in the country.
In surveys conducted in certain indus
tries it has been shown that over a
period of ten years 39 per cent of all
absences from work was due to colds,
among men. Among women, 31 per
cent of all absences from work was due
to colds. The public health service also
reveals that most Americans have two
t-o three colds a year, and that, among
workers, the average is from three to
seven colds a year.
Class groups differ In their suscepti
bility to colds. College students, for
instance, because they are as a rule
young, carefree and somewhat indif
ferent to slight indispositions, contract
colds more often than the average per
son. The cold rate for army officers
and their families, accustomed to more
careful living habits, falls far below
the average.
Cost of Colds Is Enormous.
American industry annually loses
about 90,000,000 days, at a cost of
nearly half a billion dollars, because
of colds. And the really startling thing
is that the prevalence of colds does not
differ very much between different sec-
Be careful about this! George Olsen, genial bandmaster of the College Inn
in Chicago’s Hotel Sherman, and Ethel Shutta, his beautiful songstress-wife,
demonstrate a practice which probably spreads as many colds as any other this
time of year, according to medical authorities. Oh, well! If you were George
wouldn’t you take a chance?
tory tract, of undetermined etiology.”
Etiology is the assignment of cause.
While science has not yet recognized
the actual causative agent of the com
mon cold, it has learned from experi
ence many of tfce things that cause us
to become susceptible to colds. Not (lie
least of these is lowered resistance.
We are more likely to catch cold when
we are tired or worried or nervous—
in other words when we are generally
“run down.” That is possibly the ex
planation of the fact that late January
and early February are the periods of
most common infection. By that time
our resistance has been lowered by
months of insufficient exercise, less
consumption of the fresh outdoor air
and more general confinement.
Exposure and lack of rest often “lay
us wide open” to attacks of colds.
Chills from getting wet, from draughts
or from any other cause do the same.
So does lack of sleep. But all these
things merely lower resistance; they
do not cause colds. By being more
careful in our living habits we can
build up our resistance.
One school of thought advances the
theory that colds are the result of a
general acid condition in the body, and
there seems to be evidence to support
this contention in the fact that when
we keep ourselves alkalized by means
of citrous fruit juices and other alka
line foods and drinks we catcli fewer
colds.
Another school says colds result
from lack of some of the vitamins, par
ticularly vitamin A, and advises the
—COLD5
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This chart, the result of a survey among the employees of a large insurance
company, shows how colds increase as the temperature drops.
tlons of the country. People in the
warmer climates suffer from colds just
as do people in the colder areas. As
a matter of fact, the eskimos in the
Arctic regions never suffer colds, ex
cept for short periods after ttie visits
of ships from other parts of the world,
indicating that the germs (if, indeed,
that is what they are—no one really
knows) are brought into these frigid
parts from lands where milder weath-
<*• prevails. On Admiral Byrd’s first
expedition to the Antarctic not one of
his men caught a cold.
Many colds can be prevented with a
little forethought, and so, of course,
can their complications. Mighty seri
ous these complications are, too, for
pneumonia is only one of them. Others
axe quinsy, bronchitis, pleurisy and
often tuberculosis, if the cold is neg
lected long enough.
Perhaps one reason that we do not
give colds the attention they deserve
la that nobody actually knows what
causes them, a regrettable fact, but
none the less true. There are several
theories that have been given promi
nence, but medical scientists admit
that there is no one who can point at
a kerm, a “bug,” an organism or a mi
cro-organism and say definitely, “That
« what causes colds."
When We Are Susceptible.
This is apparent even from the defi
nition of a cold, as given by Dr. Al
phonse Raymond Dochez, one of Amer-
ica’s foremost authorities. He says:
ihe common cold is an acute catar-
aal inflammation of the upper respira-
use of certain fish oils which contain
this vitamin as a means to building
up resistance to colds.
"Polluted Air” Theory.
Still another idea is that colds are
the result of breathing impure air,
dust, dirt and germs which cause the
inflammation. It is true that the iden
tical condition can be effected by
breathing certain powders and gases,
and that men who work in industrial
plants where such polluted air is pres
ent often suffer from conditions that
are, in every symptom, identical with
colds.
The most generally accepted theory
is that the cold is caused by a definite
micro-organism or group of micro-or
ganisms. No one has ever seen it,
though. It may be too small or it may
burrow too deep, assuming that it ex
ists at all. Nasal secretions from cold-
sufferers contain streptococci, staphy
lococci, pneumococci and other organ
isms. They are also present in the
noses and throats of healthy persons
but usually to a lesser degree.
These organisms may be seen under
the microscope. While science does
not believe that they themselves cause
cold, it holds that they may assist an
organism which does. That such an
organism does exist, but has not yet
been isolated or seen, is indicated sn
the fact, as reported by Doctor Dochez,
that nasal secretions, apparently sterile,
are sometimes found in cold victims,
and that these secretions, transplant
ed to a normal person, will often com
municate the cold.
The fact that there can be an acute j
inflammation of mucous membrane
with no micro-organism in sight is one
of the baiting mysteries tbe common
cold has presented to science, accord
ing to Dr. Dochez.
Organism May Burrow Deep.
“If the disease in these instances is
due to ordinary bacteria we must as
sume that the organisms are in the
early stages beneath the surface of the
tissues,” he has written. That pre
sents the possibility that the organism
may borrow down so deep into the tis
sues that it cannot be uncovered for
examination by simply removing nasal
secretions.
There are two kinds of colds, the
sporadic, which is always amongst us
somewhere, and the epidemic, the na
ture of which is apparent from its
name. Prevalence of colds differs as
to age groups. Most frequent sufferers
are children of four’years of age and
less. Youths from fifteen to twenty-
four catch cold far less frequently. The
curve of infection begins climbing
lignin to a second high peak between
the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four,
then sinks steadily, revealing that the
most infrequent sufferers are persons
of fifty-five and over.
The old adage about an ounce of pre
vention being worth a pound of cure
is certainly doubly important in the
case of colds. For so many cures are
of doubtful value. Always, the best
thing you can possibly do is see your
family physician at once. And if pos
sible, go to bed and stay there until
you are well. Then you will get the
rest that is so important. If you keep
covered up you won’t be chilled. And
you’ll be where you have the smallest
chance of passing your cold to some
one else.
Keep Up Your Resistance.
Since people who are “run down”
are the most susceptible to colds, the
smart thing is to keep yourself from
getting that way. Keep your body as
healthy as you can. ■
Medical authorities agree that if you
are to keep from catching colds, you
should get as much sleep, sunshine and
fresh air as possible. You should eat
plenty of nourishing food without over
eating, for overeating lowers resist
ance.
Dress so that you will keep comfort
ably warm, without having too much
clothing on in hot weather, or too little
in cold. If you get wet, change clothes
as soon as you can Avoid, if possible,
going from a hot room to the cold out-
of-doors. Never stay in a draft.
You should remember to get some
sort of exercise without overdoing it,
to breathe through your nose, not your
mouth, to keep clean at all times, for
dirty hands often carry infection, and
to avoid constipation.
Don’t Mix With Sufferers.
Above all, keep away from people
who have colds, for the common cold
is one of the most contagious of all
diseases. When there is an epidemic
in your vicinity, you should keep away
from all crowds, avoid strictly the use
of common drinking cups, telephones
and the like. This goes even for mem
bers of your family and dear friends.
By the same token, you should, if you
have a cold, keep away from every
body ; colds are most often spread by
kissing and breathing into another’s
face. Cover up when you sneeze or
cough.
If you feel a cold coming on, go to
bed. Drink plenty <*f water. Eat
lightly, and take a mild laxative. If
you feel sick, don’t try to work. You
may pass your cold to others, and your
employer certainly wouldn’t thank you
for that.
It won’t hurt to repeat: See your
doctor. It is better not to attempt to
prescribe for yourself. That’s your
doctor’s business. Let him do it. If
you find you have a great many colds,
ask him to make a thorough examina
tion and tell you why.
Finally, don't simply neglect youi
cold. The risk isn’t wAjrth it.
© Western Newspaper Union.
BROWN HAND BAG
TO BE CROCHETED
By GRANDMOTHER CLARK
Crocheted hand bags are still pop
ular. They look good, are easy to
make and cost very little, and the
personal pride in hand-made articles
must not be overlooked. This neat
looking bag measures 5% by 9 Inches
and being made of dark brown cot
ton Is a very serviceable bag. Can
be made In a few days in spare time.
Package No. 739 contains sufficient
brown Mountain Craft crochet cotton
to complete the bag, also Instructions
and crochet hook. Zipper and bag
lining not included. This package
will be mailed to you for 40 cents.
Should you want the Instructions
only, send us 10 cents.
Address Home Craft Co., Dept. B,
Nineteenth and St. Louis Ave.. St.
Louis, Mo. Inclose a stamped ad
dressed envelope for reply when
writing for any information.
Old-Fashioned Virtue Is
Not to Be Scoffed At
Sometimes in these days, when w#
are all a little prone to be over-civ
ilized and just unco’ genteel, it would
do our minds and souls good if wa
went back to the roots from which
we sprung.
I never understood why anybody
should object to being called old-
fashioned. Is there not enough of
great virtue and beauty and Inspira
tion In our past?
How Calotabs Help Nature
To Throw Off a Bad Cold
‘Big Ben” Not Name of
London Clock, but Bell
Millions have found in Calotabs a
most valuable aid In the treatment
of colds. They take one or two tab
lets the first night and repeat the
third or fifth night if needed.
How do Calotabs help Nature
throw off a cold? First, Calotabs is
one of the most thorough and de
pendable of all Intestinal ellminants.
thus cleansing the intestinal tract of
the germ-laden mucus and toxines.
Second, Calotabs are diuretic to tha
kidneys, promoting the elimination
of cold poisons from the system. Urns
Calotabs serve the double purpose of
a purgative and diuretic, both of
which are needed in the treatment
of colds.
Calotabs are quite economical;
only twenty-five cents for the family
rial
package,
package.
ten cents
(Adv.)
for the tr
Do you know that there’s no such
(lock as Big Ben? That name is
given simply to the bell of the clock
over the Houses of Parliament. Big
Ben’s chime Is little more than
whisper compared with what It might
be, for the bell is cracked, and the
huge hammer originally made for it
cannot be used in case It might
wreck it.
The M. P.’s who sit immediately
under Big Ben do not hear it strike
until its tones have already been
heard In the furthermost corners of
the British Isles! Wireless reception
is Instantaneous; but the sound of
Big Ben takes a fraction of a second
to reach anybody on the ground who
Is not “listening in.”—London An
swers.
Blue Tuesday
Tuesday Is the jinx of Janies Red
dish, nineteen, of Des Moines. In
eight months he has been in two
automobile accidents on Tuesdays,
one resulting In the death of a girl
friend. He lost Ills job on another
Tuesday. While he still wore a east
m his neck, broken in the first acci-
lent, a girl at a roller skating rink
ell on him on Tuesday. Reddish
urrendered Ills driver’s license rol-
ntarily and decided to stay In bed
i Tuesday.
II h«>j» in Atlanta—
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Of course, children should
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