Sore Throat

Five hours on horseback in snow, sleet and chilling rain had left George Washington soaked. It was the old general's custom to ride out daily to inspect the operations at Mount Vernon. But his secretary worried that the great man would catch his death of cold.The next day, Washington complained of a sore throat. Two days later, on Dec. 14, 1799, Washington died of what his distraught doctors diagnosed as "quinsy," a severe inflammation of the throat that slowly closed off his airway and suffocated him.They had done all they knew how to do, but their famous patient died.

Some had the stomach flu. Others had a sore throat or a doctor's appointment, but somehow they managed to make it to Opening Day at Oriole Park yesterday.The one-day postponement of Opening Day was a hassle for fans, some of whom had to skip the event. For others, it actually brought out creative streaks.Here are some of their stories:Out of sick bayIn the top of the sixth inning, close to 5 p.m., Linda Ours and Nicole McGuire of Baltimore were holding half-full cups of beer and lining up for more.

It remains to be seen whether the latest remedy for the common cold is really any better than chicken soup, a hot toddy by the fire and a few days off, but enthusiasts are seizing on the latest evidence that zinc lozenges may reduce cold misery this sneezing season.In all, there have been eight studies so far on whether zinc lozenges can shorten the duration of colds, and the score stands at 4-4.But the latest study, done by Dr. Michael L. Macknin and #F colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic and published several months ago in the Annals of Internal Medicine, is stirring high hopes, not to mention brisk sales of the little zinc candies.

WASHINGTON -- Neil Simon is sitting in the lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel, nursing his sore throat with a cup of chamomile tea. At 69, after 29 plays and 20-odd screenplays, he is touring again.But this time he's not touring with a show. This time, he is the show. From Toronto to Pittsburgh, from New York to the Washington's Smithsonian, hundreds of people are filling auditoriums to see Neil Simon instead of a Neil Simon play.That's the difference between writing a play and writing a memoir, "Rewrites," Simon's first "real" book.

An Annapolis man was being held in the county jail yesterday, charged with robbery and resisting arrest.James A. Thomas, 24, of the 100 block Obery Court was arrested near his home about 5 a.m. FridayHe is charged with robbing Luis A. Salinas, 25, of the first block of Jefferson Place.Mr. Salinas told police that he was walking from his home to Anne Arundel Medical Center seeking treatment for a sore throat about 4:30 a.m. Friday when a woman and two men accosted him near Calvert and West streets and demanded a dollar.

Middie ignores a sore throat to sing at galaMaria Grauerholz had a sore throat and the sniffles, but that wasn't going to stop her from singing for President Clinton.The 21-year-old senior at the U.S. Naval Academy was among more than 100 midshipmen to sing at the American Gala Monday at the Capital Centre. The Glee Club performed three songs before joining Fleetwood Mac for the big send-off."It was pretty exciting," Ms. Grauerholz, co-president of the Women's Glee Club, said yesterday between sneezes.

Nearly everyone has in their past a towering cathedral of Jell-O, populated by millions of mini-marshmallows and canned fruit chunks. Or they can remember the bilious green lime and cottage cheese Jell-O mold that made an annual appearance at the church social, perhaps to be consumed as penance. At the very least, they recall the bowl of jiggly cherry Jell-O cubes -- prepared by mom to soothe a sore throat -- and their slippery descent to the tummy.Gelatin in general, and Jell-O in particular, is perhaps the nation's most popular and versatile novelty foodstuff.

Nearly everyone has in their past a towering cathedral of Jell-O, populated by millions of mini-marshmallows and canned fruit chunks. Or they can remember the bilious green lime and cottage cheese Jell-O mold that made an annual appearance at the church social, perhaps to be consumed as penance. At the very least, they recall the bowl of jiggly cherry Jell-O cubes -- prepared by mom to soothe a sore throat -- and their slippery descent to the tummy.Gelatin in general, and Jell-O in particular, is perhaps the nation's most popular and versatile novelty foodstuff.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Toronto Blue Jays returned to the Metrodome last night to find that something had changed since they ended the regular season here on Sunday afternoon. They have played baseball under the Big Top before, but not when the circus is in town.The Detroit Tigers had the same realization in 1987, when they dominated the Minnesota Twins during the regular season and were dome-inated in the playoffs.The Blue Jays can deny that they were shouted out of the first game of the American League Championship Series, but they certainly were at loose ends in the early innings of last night's 5-4 defeat.

THE NEW YEAR'S Eve Cold. There's just nothing like its fury.Have you ever had it? No? Well, you will, it's one of the most contagious colds around. The New Year's Eve Cold is worse than the Christmas Cold. That kissy-kissy stuff at midnight does it.People always write about the New Year's hangover, how it's like a sledge hammer or an out-of-body experience. It gets all the publicity. But the New Year's Eve Cold attacks anyone who parties tonight.Well, if you have not unearthed a baby sitter yet, you are staying home.

Sometimes called the "kissing disease" because it is most frequently spread through saliva, mononucleosis often is considered a teen illness. In fact, almost every adult (if tested) will show signs of having been infected by this virus, says Ben Hand, a primary-care physician in the department of medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Just about everyone has heard of "mono." What causes this disease? Mononucleosis or infectious mononucleosis is characterized by fever, sore throat or swollen lymph nodes, and it is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which is in the herpes family.

Late winter is high season for scratchy, itchy or sore throats, and most of us know how miserable having one can be. But how do we know when a sore throat is simply part of a common cold and when it is a symptom of the potentially more serious strep throat? It's wise to take note of your symptoms, says Alan Oshinksy, otolaryngologist-in-chief at Northwest Hospital Center and Sinai Hospital. Strep throat, left untreated, can not only be painful but can also lead to a more serious condition.

Late winter is high season for scratchy, itchy or sore throats, and most of us know how miserable having one can be. But how do we know when a sore throat is simply part of a common cold and when it is a symptom of the potentially more serious strep throat? It's wise to take note of your symptoms, says Alan Oshinksy, otolaryngologist-in-chief at Northwest Hospital Center and Sinai Hospital. Strep throat, left untreated, can not only be painful but can also lead to a more serious condition.

Joe Moffett wishes the spit test was available four years ago, before the tumor near the base of his tongue put him through months of radiation treatments, chemotherapy and surgery -- plus the hassle of taking nourishment through a feeding tube inserted at Johns Hopkins Hospital. "Having a test out there, I could have avoided a whole lot. But still, I thank the good Lord I'm alive, and I'm excited about this test. It could help a lot of people," said Moffett, 69, a retired Army pilot from Dillon, S.C. Researchers at Hopkins published findings this month showing they are close to developing a mouth rinse that can detect head and neck cancer such as Moffett's.

Should I go to one of these new "retail health clinics" in shopping malls and drug stores? Yes, if you're positive that you have a relatively minor problem - such as a sore throat, ear ache or bladder infection. You should also follow some common sense guidelines from physician groups such as the American Medical Association (ama-assn.org), the American Academy of Family Physicians (aafp.org) and the American Geriatrics Society (www.americangeri atrics.org). These little clinics are springing up all over, with names such as Take Care Health Centers, MinuteClinic, RediClinic, MiniMedCare and the like.

THEY CALL mononucleosis "the kissing disease," but I think that has less to do with how you contract it than it does with the fact that once you get it, you can kiss your social life goodbye. At least that's how my teen-aged daughter reacted to the diagnosis. A persistent sore throat sent us to the doctor Friday afternoon of Labor Day weekend, and when the mono test came back positive, I pulled the plug on Jessie's holiday plans. For a child who had just been told she had a viral illness most often characterized by listlessness and extreme fatigue, she had plenty of energy to throw a fit. Frankly, that's what I feared most after hearing the doctor's report.

JUPITER, Fla. - Just when Orioles manager Mike Hargrove was convinced that Geronimo Gil's lapses behind the plate were in the past, his starting catcher allowed a run to score on a passed ball and struggled with other pitches in the dirt. The scene played out Tuesday in Viera, Fla. and Hargrove vowed to "address" the problem. He still was doing it yesterday as Gil went through drills with first base coach Rick Dempsey in the bullpen about an hour before the Orioles' game against the St. Louis Cardinals, which ended in a 5-5 tie after 12 innings.

Wilde Lake senior goalkeeper Sarah Hobart has watched a number of county soccer games. Today, after two years of waiting, she'll finally play in one. "It's been so long. I'm excited," said Hobart, a highly competitive and spirited athlete who has battle injuries the past two seasons. "I had such high expectations for myself, and now I finally get to show what I can do. Hopefully, Wilde Lake will be a force to be reckoned with this season." Hobart tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee playing summer basketball and missed her sophomore season.

Five hours on horseback in snow, sleet and chilling rain had left George Washington soaked. It was the old general's custom to ride out daily to inspect the operations at Mount Vernon. But his secretary worried that the great man would catch his death of cold.The next day, Washington complained of a sore throat. Two days later, on Dec. 14, 1799, Washington died of what his distraught doctors diagnosed as "quinsy," a severe inflammation of the throat that slowly closed off his airway and suffocated him.They had done all they knew how to do, but their famous patient died.

Some had the stomach flu. Others had a sore throat or a doctor's appointment, but somehow they managed to make it to Opening Day at Oriole Park yesterday.The one-day postponement of Opening Day was a hassle for fans, some of whom had to skip the event. For others, it actually brought out creative streaks.Here are some of their stories:Out of sick bayIn the top of the sixth inning, close to 5 p.m., Linda Ours and Nicole McGuire of Baltimore were holding half-full cups of beer and lining up for more.