The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-07-12

/ ION Vi our IeaueIs ) DuJ IL appears 10 us, 10
be subject of great Importance, for air is
essential to the animal system to sustain life j;
and if the air is not pure, it will produce
disease, and disease will eventually cause
death.
This subject has held prominent place
in our minds for some time past and con-
templated the preparation of an article on
the same; but the following from Miss
Beecher's Letters to the people on Health
and Happiness, so nearly meets our views
that we adopt it in preference to any we could
write at this time i
This topic takes the lead of all others in
Importance and difficulty. The fact that the
Greeks live most of the year outdoors, and
that in their houses they never breathe any
but prre air, gave them an advantage in de-
yeloplng the beauty, strength. and health Of
their children, which it would be difficult to
secure with our climate and habits. And the
steady and equable climate of the old coun-
tries which has led their inhabitants to out
door lille, and thus to acquire vigorous con-
stitutons, gives them also great advantage
overus.
But then our difficulties, can be met and
overcome.
Every man who is a bouseh lder should be
sure that every member OF his family breathes
pure air, lot only all day but all night, by this
simple arrangement: In every room of his
house let at least one window be let down at
the top two inches, and one door havs an
opening OF two inches over the top. Let this
be done in such way that no person can al
ter 1t. For if ventilators are fixed SO that
they can be closed, they will be, in the ma.
jority Of cases, by the ignorant, or timid, or
falsely economical.
/ A house thus arranged will require more
fuel to warm it, but the additional expense Of
this will not be tenth part of that which
wold result from the loss of labor and health
consequent on the debility and disease always
resulting, more or less, from the habilual in
halation Of impure air.
Ia house thus arranged, stoves-though
less healthfnl than open fires-would sill be
far lss injurious than they now are.
/ And here one common prejudice against
night'air, resulting solely from ignorance,
must be met.
1t has been shown that every pair of lungs
vitntes Eogsl cad Of air every hour, by with.
drawing from it one half its oxygen, and re-
placing it with the same quantity of carbonic
acid. Now, at night, the inmates OF house
must either breathe pure air, that constantly
flows in from without and thus drives GU. The
impure air within, or they must keep on
breathing over and over again The confined
air OF the house. that every hour grows more
and more poiso Gus and deblitatnt.
The popular objections 10 night air are, THAI
it is cold, or damp, or loaded with uuhealh
ful mia mata. Bat ifa person has bed cloth.
ing enough 10 keep warm, the colder :he air
the better every way. And if the air is dau p.
SO as to rend + the atmosphere of the room
damp also, sill no harm is done, D5Opidea the
Jo5y is Kept 1corm. Remember ,uat lae most
delicate patients in health stabhslmen,s sI,ep
for hours with wet sheets packed around
them, without the least evil or danger. A
damp nj, btHevcr can harm the most delicate
person if every part Of the body is covered sp
a to be duly warm. As 10 the effect o.
damp air taken into the lungs well educated
people know that there is no lime when there
is more water held suspended il the atmos-
Phsere than in hot day. When the air be.
comes cold this dampnes5 bedymes sensible to
the eye and feeling but there is really not SC
much waiter inhaled into the lungs III breath
ing cold, damp air, as in breathing walm
aud apparently dry atmosphere,
No reason, then, exists for excluding the
nighL-air from the lungs when cold and damp
but more clothing is required, and more care
to avoid draft on any exposed part Of the
body. OF fc1urse, where lungs are diseased
any extremes in temperature mnst be avoid
ed.
AS to unhealthful missmata in the night
air, nothing can be worse than the exhalations
of decaying bodies as sent forth from the
lungs and skin of sleepers. tits precisely the
same evil as is found in proximity to grave
yards and decaying carrion. The efiluvium
from the lun Is and skin is precisely the same
as that from carrion, only more diluted by the
atmosphere. Those who have entered the
pent-up sleeping room of persons who do moi
wash their skins or breathe a pure air, very
well understand the close resemblance.
In he summer season, while vegetation is
in life, it is true that the leaves of all tree:
and plants arc respireDg giving out Oxygen
and taking in carbonic acid by day, and ther
at night throwing out carbonic acid and taking
in oxygen. But this respiration of vegetable
nature Outside of our dwellings, and all tn,
ettluya Of decaying vegetation at any peerioC
of the year, are never so effective in destroy
ing the healthfulness of the air around oul
dwellings, as the lungs of the inhabitants
within them.
Let it also be considered that the air we dc
breathe-unless the house is air tight, which
no house can be-must be night air, more ol
less mixed with the portion which has beer
breathed over and over again through the day
and evening. Sothatevery body does breathe
night-air or what is worse.
These things are presented in ordor to re
move that baleful prejudice and fear that SC
many ignorant persons indulge toward theil
best friends, pure air and pater.
To return lei every nerson who has chargf