St. Mary's beacon., 1854-08-10

NIGHT AER.-We do not pretend 20 [,
ais knowledge OF the physicians art bnt
We wish to say word on two, to a GER
tain portion vt our Eeaders- ON matter in |
mateiv connected, as We think, with
their general health. We do moi expect
to carry any weigh. with rs; but We shall
he fully satisfied If we can induce those
persons TO think about it.
The matter to which We have refer
ence is the very inprudent habit of ex-
posure to the Night Air The citizens
of this village and all other places sub
icct 10 Fnalarial influences are undoubted-
ly, too much addicted 10 this pernicious
habit We know large number Of per-
SOUS who will not go To sleep unless their
chamber windows aud doors are are o.
pened wide. Indeed instances are not
wanting Of persons sleeping without any
shelter but the starry canopy uf 'ieaven.
Now We condemn this entirely. We be-
lieve it to be highly, fatally, prejudicial to
health and We believe 1t To- be almost
the soul cause Of the sickness 10 which
our village and other like places ara sub
iect in the summer and autumn.
> Ne have heard the question adxed,
), ''wby il the night afr more issda cfaf
than the Hoontide air - The reason j.,
because during the day the suns heat
has the power OF uriiying the air. by
relying 1t, and causing all dcleterI0us
gases Id rise beyond our reach. At
M sht the stratum of air nearest 10 thu
gr1und is always heavily charged with
PARTICLES nf animslized matter, offensive
and poisonous gases, such as carbonIc a.
cid gas. the product OF respiration. and
sulphureted hydrogen, the product of
sewers aud rece2tacles of filth. Now
during the daytime all these gases have
been rising above Us, by the rareiaction
ot the air but, IL they have not been
properly mixed with the atmosphere,
they will, after shutdown, begin To fall d
gam by their increase of gravity.
il then, the night air be charged with
these noxious gases, can there he any
doubt that it Is not we'll to expose our
self to it, Bat in our climate there is
another reason why We should avoid the
night air. 1t Is we'll known that We are
exposed to malarial influences. Now
this malaria undoubtedly attacks us IN
form Of gas, subject to the general laws
4 Of other sa.es. II so, it can effect us
only al night, for the reason just given.
To avoid maIarIal diseases, therefore,
one must AVOID the night AIR.
We want no surer proof of the noXiouS
nature of night air, than the fact that, du-
rag the prevalence of cpidenics very
large majority Of cases occur between
one and two O'Clock in the morning
Even TIE plague, the cholera, the yell
low fever, are assisted by the foul night
tasr. Is not this enough to cause reilec-
ti0n?
But il will be objected that 'the wealth
er Is loo hot to sleep with closed win
dows." Not SO; 1t Is never too hot for
this. Your Imagination does it for you.
Lea your chamber be properly ventilated,
and we'll insure it that you.sleep cooler
. with your windows closed. The writer
own entire satisfaction. During the hot
test nights Of the summer he does not o.
pen his windows. Once or twice the heat
has betrayed him into the imprudence,
but it has invariably resulted in giving
him a malarial fever. He has never
known an exception He found that so
soon as he adopted this plan he ceased
to have the "chills and fcyers," that
awful scourge. Quinine nor any drug
was SO efficacious as simple sleeping
with closed windows.
We, therefore, earnestly advise all
who may be suffering from any of the
diseases incident to our climate, to re-
solve that they will take the pledge OF
total abstinence from nicht air. If they
will do SO, we wager that they will thank
Us for the suggestion.