CATCHING COLD.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPIGOT/MR.1 SIE,—/ see a letter in the Spectator of January 7th about the infliction of the season, colds, and whether they are due to microbes. I can quote the result of my experience which may be of interest. Some three years ago I suffered from ear- ache, and was advised to inhale—or shall I say sniff ?—tepid water morning and evening to prevent the recurrence of it. Finding the practice singalarly eased my breathing, I con- tinued it and never had a cold since, and I can now cycle up
the steepest hill without opening my month to breathe. It would appear from this and from the amount of dust which issues from the nasal cavities with the water, that the latter cavities accumulate offensive dust at least, and I suppose also microbes, which on a person living in a close atmosphere, and consequently weakened, would vent their full activities. It is remarkable, as the letter says, that travellers in high regions do not catch colds. I would couple this a ith the fact that in such regions dead bodies do not corrupt but desiccate, as I have myself seen, and this might be accounted for by the extreme purity of the atmosphere, whilst the bracing effect of open-air life would secure farther the traveller from mischief. The question of colds seems thus reduced to one of cleanliness.-1 am, Sir, &c,,
A TRIVELLER.
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