Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-03-15

i Why EPIDzM1cs RAoE AT -N1ezr
1t was IN one night that four thousand
persons persisted Of the plague in Lon
don. TWAS by night that the army Of
Sennacherib was destroyed. Both in
England and on the Continent large
portion of cholera cases, in its several
forms, have been observed to have oc-
CURED between one and two O'Clock in
the morning. The danger of exposure
to the night air has been theme by
physicians from time immemorial; but
it is remarkable that they never yet
called in the aid of chemistry to account
for the fact.
1t is at night that the stratum Of air
nearest the ground must always be the
most charged with the particles of ami
mahzed matter given out from the skin,
and deleterious gases, such as carbonio
acid gas--the product of respiration
and sulphuretted hydrogen-the pro-
duct of the sewers. In the day, gases,
and various substances of all kinds, rise
in the air by the rarefaction of the heat,
at night when this rarefaction ceases,
they fan by an increase of gravity, il
imperfectly mixed with the atmosphere;
while the gases evolved during the
night, instead of ascending, remain at
nearly the same level. 1t is known that
carbonic acid gas. at a low temperature,
'partakes so nearly, of the nature Of
fluid that it may be poured out of one
vessel into another. 1t rises at the tenn
perature at which it is exhaled from the
lungs, but its tendency is towards the
floor or the bed Of the sleeper in cold
and unventilated rooms.
At Hamburg, the alarm Of cholera at
night in some parts of the city was so
great, that many refused to 60 to bed,
least they should be attacked unswsres
in their sleep. Sitting up, they probs-
bly, kept their stoves or open fires burn
ing for the sake Of warmth, and that
warmth gives the expansion to any
deleterious gases present, which would
best promote their escape, and promote
their dilution in the atmosphere. The
means of safety were then unconscious
ly assured. At Sierra Leone the ma
tives have practice, in the sickly sea-
son, OF keeping fires constantly burning
in their huts at night, asserting that the
fires keep away the evil spirits, to
which, in their ignorance. they attribute
the fever and ague. Latterly, Euro
peans have begun to adopt the same
practice, and those who have tried il as
sert that they have now entire immunity
from the tropical feVers to which they
were formerly subjected.
In the epidemics of the middle ages
Tres used to be lighted in the streets for
he publication Of the air, and in the
plague Of London, in 1886, fires in the
streets were at one time kept burning
ncessantly, till extinguished by vio-
ent storm Of rain. Latterly, trains Of
have been fred, and can.
ions discharged for the same object,
'ut it is obvious that these measures al
hough sound in principle, must neces-
arily, out of doors, be on too small .
Gale. as measured against an ocean Of
air, to produce any sensible
feet. Within doors, however, the
ase is different. 1t is quite possible 10
Iest a room sufficiently to produce -
arefaction and consequent dilution Of
ny malignant gases it may contain, and
is Of course the air of the room and
hat alone. at night, which comes in con-
act with the lungs Of the persons sleep