The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-07-14
Sleeping Together.

If man were to see quarter Of an
tueh of worm put in his cup of Coffee, be
could not drink it, BECAUSE he knows that
the whole cup would be impregnated II
very small amount of some virulent pois-
on be introduced into glass Of water, the
drinking Of it might not produce Instant
dsath, but that would pQt prove that it was
not hurtful, only that there was not
enough of it to cause destructive result
Immediately.
We sicken at the thought of taking the
breath of another the moment it leaves
the mouth, but that breath mingles with
the air about the bed in which two per.
sons lay and it is rebreathed, but not the
less offensive is it in reality on account of
the dilution, exoept that it is not taken in
its concentrated form but each breath
makes it more concentrated. One sleep
er eorrupts the atmosphere Of the room by
his own breathing, but when two persons
are breathing at the same time, twelve or
fourteen times iE each minute, each min
ute extracting all the nptriment from a
gallQn of air, the deterioratiop must be
rapid indeed, especially in small and
close room. A bird cannot live without
large supply of pure air. A canary bird
hppg pp IN @ eHrtained hedstead where
two persons slept died before the morning
Many infants are found dead in bed,
and it is attributed to having been over
laid by the parents; but the idea that any
person could lay still for moment on a
baby, or anything else of the same size,
is absurd. Death vas caused by the want
of pure air.
Besides, emanGsiop9, aeriql and mQFe or
less solid, are thrown out from every per-
Son-thrown out by the procession of ma
ture, because no longer fit for life purpo-
ses, because they aye dead and corrupt
but if brea:hsd into another living body,
it is just as ahhoFrept as if we took into
our mouths the matter of sore or any
other excrGtiQ4.
The most destructive typhoid and pu-
trid fegers are known to arise directly
from number of persons living in the
same small room.
Those who can afford it should there
for arrange to have each member of the
family sleep in a seperate bed. lfpersons
must sleep in the same bed, they should
he about the same age, aud in good health.
If the health be much unequal, both will
suffer, but the healthier one the most
the invalid suffering for want of entirely
pure air.
So many cases are mentioned in stand
ard medical works where healthy, robust
infants and larger children haze dwind-
led away, and died in few months from
sleeping with grandparents, or ther old
persons, that it is useless to cite special
instances in proof.
1t would be a constitutional and moral
good for married persons to sleep fu ad-
joining rooms, as a general hahit. Il
would be ceatain means of physical in
vigorance aud of advantages in other di-
rections, which will readily occur to the
refestive reader. Kings and Queens and
the highest personages Of courts have sep
arate apartments. 1t is the bodily ema-
nations eelleytipg and concentrating un-
der the same cover which are the most
destructive of health-more destructive
than the simple contamination of an at
mosphere breathed in eQmmQA.-HaWs
Journal Of Health.