New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-19
THE DENS OF DEATH No. iii.

DEPRIVATION OF LIGHT-DrsEAsE IN THE
DENs-RATI0 OF MORTALITY AMONG chill
DREN-sANITARY REGISTRATION.
Among the places the most crowded in proper.
ton to their actual size the worst ventilated and
whose mortality is the greatest at ell times, are
those subteranean abodes which constitute the
subject Of our remarks, and which we have demon
inated-for want Of more appropriate term-Dens.
| Dens of Death the term "cear" not conveying
proper idea Of the place when used a. q resi-.
/ dence. ["CELLAR--A room under house, used
as a repository for provisions" &C. &c. &c--We6-
| aerl
These dens or artificial caves Of the earth, like
the natural caves in former times in Afrios, often
send forth bands of marauders, who live by thiev-
ing alone and the modern Trogodytes, like their
protoy pes after successful expedition, return TO
their dark recesses to divide their spoil and plan
anew some scheme Of depreciation. Darkness,
therefore, would appear to have been from the ear
Hest times one Of the exciting causes Of crime, and
our modern policemen see it is so now. We heard
a worthy Alderman once say that plenty of gas
light in the streets would go far to exterufnate
wickedness OF all kinds. Whether darkness be q
cause Of crime not it is certain that murderers.
thieves etc. love darkness better than light" and
that there is proprety Of department found In
4 good, honest abode above ground, fully open 10
the light Of day, than in dark underground resi-
dences and caverns, which in a state Of nature are
inhabited only by beasts OF prey But we have not
undertaken to consider the relative state Of morals
Of Subtensnesns and Of the "Jpper Ten" such a.
live on the surface Of the earth we shall, there
A. koC If A.
physical effects Of living in these damp and sitting
abodes OF darkness
These places are the habitations Of the most des-
ttute and contain in themselves ell the usual &C.
tive agents, independently Of the presence Of num-
bers Of people, for the spread Of malignant diseases
They are always more or less damp often wet and
never undergo any change OF air, except 10 q very
limited extent, and always accidental.
We have mentioned darkness a. one Of the
characteristics Of den Of death we mention It
because it possesses the property Of modifying and
controlling the development Of organic Life. and in
such way as always to render the body exposed
10 its influence less vigorous.
The external visible effect of tn absence Of
liobt are obvious and known TO most persons The
launching of vegetable sprouts taat are deprived
OF light, ana OF tee Potsious VI sne oooies VI MI
mails, and of their hairy covering that are habit
uaIly kept in comparative darkness Of the under
parts of the bodies Of fishes, especially Of the
founder tribe-all illustrate the diferences that
exist in the vital action Of the parts exposed 70
light or deprived Of its active influence. Chemica
science has shown that the proportion OF certain
principles Of vegetables is changed by the depriv
alton Of light and although chemical investiga-
tons have not been so accurate in ascertainng
changes from this cause in animals yet there is no
want of proof that very essential notifications Of
vital power are effected by an absence Of light
As to the production Of disease, il has been re.
marked that children born in very dark, narrow
streets and in ceTarders, are often detormed, ard
that men who work in mines are liable TO deform-
ity and disease TO a greater extent than Q mere
closeness OF atmosphere woud produce. Sir A.
Wylie states that the instances Of disease on the
dark side Of an extensive ward at st. Petersburgh,
have uniformly been three times as numerous ~
those on the opposite side where the usual light of
day exists. Humboldt attributed to light the en-
tire freedom from defornity among the Indiana Of
South America, who wear scarcely any clothing;
and Linnaus, when speaking Of the peculiarly
healtbful and inyigorsting feeling during Sum-
ner's journey through Lapsnd, refers to the con-
slant exposure 70 the solar light as enc Of the
causes Bet what Is Of more importance 70 oar
Iebjfet "a, tia, il has been found, by resest exper