Title
The Cause and Cure of Colds (1910)
Author
William S. Sadler, M.D.
Image
Description
The Cause and Cure of Colds by William S. Sadler, M.D., was published in 1910 by A.C. McClurg & Co. of Chicago. Sadler, a physician and professor of physiologic therapeutics, wrote this guide to explain the then-modern understanding of colds, their causes, and recommended treatments.
The book includes anatomical illustrations, nasal douche instructions, cabinet baths, dietary advice, and long discussions of “predisposing causes” such as overeating, fatigue, or alcohol use. While serious in tone and rooted in hygienic medicine of the era, its title reflects a quackish promise — there has never been a true “cure” for the common cold.
Condition
Blue cloth hardcover with gilt lettering. Spine edges rubbed; donor plate from Linda Vista Baptist Bible College & Seminary. Pages toned but clean; illustrations intact.
Gallery
Historical context
In 1910, germ theory was accepted, but viruses were not yet fully understood. Many physicians still attributed colds to lifestyle factors like overeating, poor sleep, or exposure to drafts. Treatments often focused on hygiene, rest, and “sweating it out.” Sadler’s text captures this transitional medical thinking — halfway between Victorian home remedies and modern infectious disease science.
Curious Facts, Ephemera, and Trivia
Sadler later became connected with the controversial Urantia Book.
Cabinet baths (shown in the book) were promoted as home hydrotherapy units, resembling a cross between a sauna and a steam box.
The text recommends simple remedies like hot lemonade, bowel regulation, and sweating — treatments still echoed in folk practice today.
Excerpt
“The first great cause of colds is overeating combined with underworking. The author has seen many sufferers from chronic colds greatly helped or permanently cured by improving digestion and cutting down their daily ration…” (p. 29)
Why it is in the Cabinet
This book is a medical curiosity both for its content and its title. While Sadler approached colds with hygienic seriousness, the bold promise of a “cure” for one of humanity’s most stubborn ailments captures the quackish optimism of the era. It belongs in the Cabinet as an example of transitional medical thought — part science, part hopeful overstatement.
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