Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-10-29
NIGHT.AIR.

During the months of September and
October, throughout the United States.
wherever there are chills. and fever and
ague. interim tents, or the more deadly
forms OF fever, it is pernicious. and even
dangerous practice. to sleep with the outer
doors or windows open; because miasm,
marsh emanations. the product of decay
ing yegetaIion-all of which are different
terms. expressing the same thing-is
made so light by heat, that it ascends al
once towards the upper portion of a.mos>
pheric space, and is not breathed during
the heat of the day. but the cool nights
of the Fall Of the year condense it. make
Il heavy. and it settles on the ground. il
breathed into the lungs. incorporated in
to the blood; and il in its Concentrated
forms, as in certain localities near Rome,
it couses sickness and death within fe ~
hours. The plaques which devastated
Eastern countries in earlier ages, were
caused by the concentrated emanations
from marshy localities, or districts of de
eayipg vegetation; and the common OBJ
GerVatIon of the higher class of people
was, that those who occupied the upper
stories. not even coming down stairs for
market supplies. but drew them up By
ropes attached to baskets. had entire i'm
munity from disease. for two reasons,
the higher the abode, the less compact is
the deadly atmosphere, besides, the high
or rooms in a house, in summer, are the
warmer ones, and the miasm less concen
trated. The lower rooms are colder,
making the air more dense. So, by keep
Ing all outer doors and windows closed,
especially the lower ones, the building is
less cold and comfortable, but it excludes
the infectious air. while its warmth sends
what enters through the crevices imme>
diately to the ceilings of the rooms. where
it congregates: and is not breathed; hence
is it that men who entered the ballroom
and dining saloons Of the National Hotel,
remaining but few brief hours, we're at
tackled with the National Hotel Diseas
while ladies who occupied upper rooms,
where constant fires were burning, escap
ed attack, although remaining in the
house for weeks at a time. 1t was for
the same reason that Dr.. Rush was &C.
eustomed to advise families in the sum
mer-time, not being able to leave the city.
to cause their younger children especially
to spend their time above stairs. We
have spent a lifetime ourselves in tn E
West and extreme South, and know in
our own person. and as to those who had
tirmness to follow our recommendation,
that whole families will escape all the
forms Of Fall fevers who will have bright
6res kindled at sunrise aud sunset in the
family room. But it is too plain pre-.
scrlption to secure observance in more
than one family in one thousand. After
the third frost, and until the Fall Of the
next year, it is an important means OF
health for persons to sleep with an outer
door or window partly open, having the
bed in such position. as to be protected
from draught of air. We advise that
no person should go to work or take e1>
ersise in the morning on an empty stom>
ach; but il it is stimulated to action by a
cup Of coffee. or crust OF bread. or apple
or orange. exercise can be taken, not on
y with impuuity. but to high advantage
in all chill and fever localities.
Journal Of Health.