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Show WHAT CAUSES A COLD. The Waste of Necessary Matter is the Pre- , j. - dominate Oue. Cincinnati Gazette. ' ' - f ' The causation of "colds" has of late been much discussed by physicians, among whom there ia still a diversity of opinion. A score of years ago they were wont to attribute them solely to sudden changes in the weather with a rapid fall in temperature to exposure expos-ure to draughts, cold ahd damp, while the body was over-heated. Facts, however, accumulated ac-cumulated that seem to indicate that these were not the real causes, but were simply what are termed proaisposing causes or, in other words, were influences that increased the liability to "colds," but did not actually excite them. - One such fact waa brought out by explorers ex-plorers in the Arctic regions. The Ureely party, for instance, encountered the most terrible hardships that the weather can impose, im-pose, and yet it is authoritively stated that "colds" never occurred among its members, nor was there a single case of fever, pneumonia, pneu-monia, bronchitis or other acute diseases that is generally supposed to be caused by "taking cold." This and various facts have Jed many physicians to believe that the irue cause of "colds" exists within, not outside of, the body, and unless the same, is present, exposure to inclement weather, etc., is not likely to be followed bv such unpleasant results. . In some respects the body resembles a furnace. fur-nace. It must have fuel, and it must be kept free from ashes, otherwise the tire within will burn low or go out altogether. It is a notorious fact that the infinite majority ma-jority of mankind take in too much fuel in the form of food, and a companion fact is that they allow the "ashes" lo accumulate. These are made up not only of refuse foods, that the system does not need and cannot assimilate, as-similate, but of minute dead pai tides of organic or-ganic matter, the products of tissue and other changes and vital processes that are 'ri w wnuin tue Douy. Jhere are a number of avenues for the expulsion ex-pulsion of these waste matters. The lungs supply the drauyht to the inward combustion combus-tion and carry off carbonic acid and watery vapor, or, as it were, the gas and smoke from the lire. Equally as important parts of this sewerago system arc the bowels and kidneys; and the skin and liver have also a goodly share in the indispensable clearing out of the body. They receive the waste directly from the blood, and should any of them stop in their work it must soon become be-come loaded with inmurities and poisoned by its own decay. " . The signs indicate that these waste matters mat-ters play an important part in the causation of colds. Yhen a person becomes chilled blood in unusual quanties is driven to "the weakest part," carrying with it its waste that might have been thrown out but for the chill, liow much of the trouble that follows fol-lows is due to the "rush cf blood" and how much to its impurities is uot known, bnt there is reason for believing that the latter deserves a large share of the blame. - --. |