Air Conditioning

     Les Robinson says: "I have been told "authoritatively" that going from warm to cold rooms does not per se lead to colds. My thesis, though, is that if the virus is in one's system, a cold can result from anything that lowers one's resistance--like being cold. A few years ago, I came down with a cold following an interminable wait for service in a cold, air-conditioned Rio restaurant. Maybe my frustration also lowered my resistance! Does any WAISer in the medical profession have a wise comment on this?"

     My reply: Yes, Rodney Beard, professor of public health, agrees. However, he says the fashion for keeping rooms very cold has passed, and the danger is less. He adds that, if the air-conditioning is functioning properly, it does not harm the environment.

Ronald Hilton - 5/19/00