The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-08-31
sleeping with The Head covered

AA'aN(BANNN4 lhNNNAA INV hANaNNa - -.
Before The danger Of sleeping with the
head covered, can be rendered sufficiently
PLAIN, il will be necessary TO state one fact
in physiOlogy sn- ~ 4 a.1.t f,ta raa .LlB
The change Of blood from bad TO good
from pure 70 impure-which is effected in the
lungs. is effected, also, IN some degree, on
the whole surface Of tue body. Some In-l
secls or worms may be said 10 breath en-
tirely on the surfaceof the body. They
have no lungs whatever. Aswe rise in
the scale of existence, TO sDakes, &C., we
begin 10 find lungs or gills, 10 which part
ofthe change Of blood is effected. Rising
still higher in the scale of being we find the
lungs largeri and the skin less and less con-
cerned in the change, until we come TO
man, and some few other anmals in whom
the change is almost wholly accomplished
by the lungs. Still we repeatit, the skin
even in man, has some share Of the work to
perform, as may be showed by very sim
pie experiment, like the fUllowing:--'s 4''r
When person has lain several hours in
bed, closely covered to the neck with thick
coVerIng--say with modern article called
comfortable--let candle or lamp be in
roduced under the clothing, and it will soon
be extinguished. The oxygen is so much
diminished, and the carbonic acid gas so
much increased. as to be incapable of sup
lpoJting combustion, and by the same rule
unfit for respiration. Lett be also distinct
that this change iswholIy eff
fected without the agency of the breath;
Though, when the head is covered, IL is, Of
course, accomplished much faster,
| The fact, that we breathe, as il were,
that is TO say purify the blood and poison the
air with the whole surface of our body. as
well as by means Of the lungs, is of the ut
most practicable importance. II Isofimpor-
tance to be understood by those on whom we
.urgc the duty Of keeping the skin clean; for
\ how can foul skln-a skin vanished over
with dust--perform its delicate and impor'
tant functionsl it is Of importance to be
understood, in order to know how to clothe
ourselves; for all those forms and circum-
stances of our clothing which tend to EN-
barrass or interrupt the action of the skin
in its %ork Of assisting the lungs to purify
the blood, are ofcourse Objectionable. lti:
1 however, of still higher Importance that il
should be well understood by mothers in
4 the management Of their Infants, not only
4 in regard TO their cleanliness and dress, but
particularly in regard TO sleep. 7la3 7s
i For, in the first place, the. bed clothing
fought to be as loose and porous as it can be
and yet at the same time, ,retain suiiicien
amount of heat, in order that the carbonit
acid gas may have an opportunity to escape
and the purer air finds its way through il
\ Secondiy:' The clothes ought to be oftel
4 thrown open and the air underthem thus ex
changed for better. Thirdly: The chill
ought never to be allowed to sleep with it
head under the clothin g.. Immense is tn
mischief done in this way as we have al
ready said by ignorant parents, and even b
those whose fault is more that ofcarelessnes
than of ignorance. FourthIyi He shuul
sleep alone as much as possible, either in
bed or crib, rather than with parents
!. brothers, sisters, &c. Filthy: He shoul
never be permitted to have domestic AM
mails, as fayorite cats or dogs, sleep in tn
J bed with him practice quite too con
mon in our country-especially that Of ha,
i ing a puppy in the bed. The ,child's bod
: poisons the imprisoned air quite fast enougl
+ without aid from dogs and cats, or from othe
human bodies, and above all without bein
3 aided by his own breath. rs4ags,. ,.-7 g
What has been said in relation 10 til
8 management Of infants will be generally al
S pllcabeHlthe principles which Il involve
f, will at least be so-in the management
' childhood, and manhood and old age. Fir,
d without hues, lamps, Candles, breathin
! and the action OF the skin, IF not preven
/. ed by dirt, improper clothing &C. and mar
o more causes, will continue to operate
:; deteriorate the atmosphere at every peric
!. of existence. There will be no moment
o our lives when we shall not need the who
4 active force ofa free, vigorous pair oflung
/ and healthy skin to reform the blood, al
! cast off the poisonous carbonic acid G
n which is formed in these important processe
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