Public Ledger

The Treatment of Sunstroke.
A physician writes as follows to the Philadelphia Evening Star: A business man rushes from his counting-room and devours a half-masticated dinner. This he washes down with a considerable quantity of ice water, and having seized his hat, he rushes to his counting-room again. He seeks the shady side of the street, with the impression that there he is safe from a sunstroke; but he forgets that his imperfectly masticated dinner, the excess of water, the excess of muscular exertion, is creating great excitement in his blood. And although he is in the shade, he might as well be in the sun at 98, for the effects are the same— vertigo, dizziness, colors before the eyes, blue, red, green; nausea, stupor and death! In fact he has received a pure sunstroke, undiluted. This is not an exaggeration, and the above instance has been given merely to illustrate the disease more fully. Those who have never seen a sunstroke could not at first distinguish much difference between it and apoplexy. Dissection, however, reveals a dissimilarity, and hence different treatments have necessarily been adopted. Thus, sunstrokes are treated under the impression that there is an excess of blood on the brain, and this blood must be, of course, removed. We employ the following means:
Elevate the head, remove the clothing, expose to the cool air, and if he has ceased breathing or is unconscious, induce artificial respiration. Cold water should be among the first remedies. Apply this frequently and continually to the head and heart, and place the feet in hot mustard water. This will induce the blood from the head; while it is beneficial to give stimulating drinks. If ice water is not at hand a cooling mixture can be made by mixing alcohol, borax and camphor together, and applying it directly to the head or breast.
When the symptoms abate he should be removed to a cool, cheerful room, where, having discharged all indigestible substances from the stomach, he has some hopes of becoming better. Dyspeptic persons should never venture much in the sun, and it is exhibiting much temerity for persons of plethoric habit of body to be engaged much on the water. Rich living, heavy food, especially meat and indigestible food generally, should be eschewed in warm weather. The head should be confined in a light hat, lined with green; the hair should be kept cut, the body clean: the pores open, but at the same time excessive perspiration should be prevented, as it induces exhaustion, and it generally happens that sunstrokes are received when the body is exhausted. Flannel should be worn about the body, for the reason that it serves to repress the perspiration from coming to the surface too rapidly; but when it is required to prevent excessive perspiration the following bath may be used with advantage: About a quart or a pint of rock salt should be placed in about seven or eight gallons of water; a little alum should be added, and the body should then be bathed thoroughly.