Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-05-13


would have been most happy Whether
the sad accidents, and the sudden and pro-
tracted diseases, and the pale faces, which
are SO often seen and known among US,
are caused exaetl y in the way he suppos-
rs or not, no one now doubts their frequent
existence. Nor will any one, who has
the least claim to philosophy, doubt the
importance of pure air, and the dele;erious
and often fatal consequences which result
ftom the want of it.
One single glance at the world we live
ln-at least with the eve of plain common
sense-will show, in some good degree
the importance of the truth We are now
trying TO incuc lie. Look at our farmers
aud other laborers who ale most always
IN the open air. Notwithstanding their
| Ignorant abuse OF their constitutions Ia a
thousand ways-some of them among the
more fragrant which can be found-their
! constant exposure 10 the open air gives
them that tirmness Of nerve (muscle,
rather,) and energy ofthough,,' for which,
other things being equal, we look in vain
elsewhere. We will not say that the av-
erage duration Of their lives, or the rapid
lty OF their thoughts, is quite equal to that
Of few other classes OF society, for, &C
cording TO the calculations of DR.. Caspar
lof Berlin, ciergymen and merchants live
little longer In Europe than farmers =
and we know that, as "a general rule, they
think faster. Yet we know also that true
length of life is not to be measured by mere
length of days. We doubt much if The
average amount of immunity fom suffer-
ing be not in favor of laborers, notwi,h-
: standing their gross errors and abuses =
r aud we attribute it, in Il very large degree,
5 to their exposure TO the open air. 1t is
not the smell of the earth. as has some
, times been vainly supposed, for the efflu-
via OF decomposing vegetation are rather
Injurious than healthy aud the breathing
Of SO much dirt as farmers and other la
: borers are sometimes liable TO breathe, is
decidedly hurtful. Nor is il their great
amount Of exercise, for many persons who
are employed within doors have quite as
much exercise, and OF kind too which
J is calculated to bring into play. nearly as
well, all the moving powers of the sys.
tenn, aud yet they have not such hard ant
firm muscles as Inc former have. No; i
e is the air principally, though we will no
e say entirely. 1t is in some degree, W.
must confess, their freedom from tha
q wear aud tear and vexation of mint
and soul, to which men of almost all 9th
er occupations are more subject than they
and their general if not uniform cheerful
lness.
But we must enter a little into detail ii
r regard TO the structure of the human lung
:. and skin, and the philosophy OF the al
! mosphere, before we can we'll UNDERSTAND
r the nature ofthe wonderful relation whlc
:, subslsts between them
= The atmosphere, in which we live an,
: move & breathe, surrounds our globe, as
u belt, to the height of about forty-tive miles
: If the earth be supposed to contain 200,
le 100000 of square miles, and 500, 900, 90
IL of inhabitants, this would give dIvideu
"a TO each human Individual of about eleve
cubic miles of air. We say TO each hit
man individual, because other ANNA
breathe it as we'll as men-even, TO som
= extent, the tenants of the great deep.
,, we should take it for granted, that the an
= mails use, 10 the whole, ten times as niue
~ - as man, there would still be left to eac
:; person at least one. cubic mile, which,
r an average of half pint of fresh air
- each inspiration or drawing In of I!
ad breath, would last US many years, provi
ho ed even that no changes were going on
- renew It, We shall see presently, ho,
-, ever, that such is not the fact, but III
there are processes in nature constan;
=. going on 10 renovate II; so that We're t
population of the earth to become a hu
~ dred or a thousand times as large as
We now is, there could never fail TO be ST
l AZ. ply for every individual, codld he be
-, -, duced to use it.
This atmospheric air, in which we {
IRE immersed all our lives long. is not 81
mo pie gas, rs the chemists would say, bu
len compound oue. 1t is made up oftNo g
not cs or airs, called oxygen gas and nitroe
re- gas, in very different proportions l
..s. former seems TO be the vital or princl
ans part of the atmosphere; for The other P
v,s the nitrogen or az Ite-iS added to
his lutte it, as we would dilute. with wafer
"a, LIQUID which would otherwise betoo sire
As for us, aud injure u.s. In fact, the ana
thv gy here alluded to is pretty close; for
ant. ygen, though it is the pat ofthe air VII
,out supports life, would be quite too sirt
half for US 10 breathe by itself. We might
odv exhilarated and happy a short time
I,ro, after little while we should be exha'
The ed. We should Ice too fist, and sho'
;. if in consequence, in a little time, be c.
air pletely worn out and perish But
,dv. mixing about four fiflhs of nitrogen, or
nos, nutritious air. with one fifth Of the '
pino or nutritious air, the Creator has forI
mar. a mixture for our use which, If kept