The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-06-19
4Asaze7zsssza1eA= ~nR TEE KENosHA TELEGRAPH.
~oOpIe No. 4.
Hygiene for The r.
BY c. r. BLACKALL, NJ. d.
More About Breathing.

More About Breathing
A perfect act ofrespration involves not on
ly all the muscles of the chest. but ais 20 thos
of the abdomen, yet how few expand the lung
sufficiently, at each inspiration, to bring int
action all the muscles Of the chest alone. Nor
especially is this true of females. Not one il
ten, at liberal es innate, have the least practi
cal idea ofthe use of the abdominal muscles, il
this regard, and probably not one in thous
and have the capacity, when dressed, of farl,
/ exercising the muscles OF the chest In my pro
fessional experience, my attention is constant
ly being called to the erroneous style of wo
mans dress, and have yet to see the first CIR
or woman who, when dressed in the ordinary
style, can have her arms extended directly up
ward, above her head, or the lungs so filled a,
to bring into actual use the whole of the struc
ture of those organs. Mans clothing is made
loose and free, and whatever weight there may
be, is suspended from the shoulders. Woman, S
dress must be made to fit, even if in doing So
it tend to the disqualifying of her for the great
/ objects Of life; fer her own happiness or for
the glory of God .... ...-
| If boys and men were so deformed by dress
as to make of them a perfect caricature upon
everything natural in the human form,it won Id
excite our just derision, such as should be be-
| slowed upon the mode of dressing the other
sex. But of this, more in future article.
The Importance of giving the lungs full and
fair play, is demonstrated in the we'll ascertain
ed fact that not far from three pounds of car
bonc acid are exhaed from the lungs, daily, il
those organs are properly used, aud that if not
fully used, nature, by one of her peculiar pro-
cesses proceedsto the absorption or destruction
of the unused portions of the organs, whence
frequently follows active disease of the lungs
literal consumption of their structure. But the
objects of breathing are not solely the aeration
and consequent publication of the blood, but
also the chemical change of the food taken into
tain condition before assimilation can take
place, otherwise the whole system becomes
obstructcd, and disease necessarily follows. -
Phe natural tendency of food is to thicken the
blood, while its aeration, by means of the lungs
produces opposite results, and thus the circula-
ting medium maintains a uniform character fit
ted for the purposes of life.
1t is a notorious fact that very gross persons
drink but very little water, while their highly
seasoned food causes demand for stimulating
drinks, all of which render the blood hie hy
impure, and cause an inAammatory condition
which breaks out in cutaneous eruptions, or
some active form of disease, or else remains la
tent, the individual meanwhile feeling well and
perhaps Boosting of his good health, until lit
tie thing, perhaps mere scratch of pin
like a lighted match to gunpowder, sets every
thing in blaze and death speedily ensues, while
good people, who blindy ignore very apparent
causes, readily ascribe the fatal event to Ga
dispensation of Providence! Another fact in
this same connection In proportion to the
purity Of the blood and hence of the whole body
will be the character and quality of the respi-
ration. 1t follows, therefore, that the relation
between the circulation and respiration is very
intimate indeed and they who would be saved
mast obey the iao.
Breathing is fortunately an involuntary act,
were it otherwise we should be worn out, in
the constant effort,-but although involuntary,
the mode may become matter of habit, as We
have abundant opportunities of knowing. If
the lungs be habitually compressed by artificial
means, such as stays and c0rSets, than which,
greater denominations were scarce ever invent
ed,-then their natural action is, in a great
measure, prevented, the thinner portions of the
organs being pressed up beneath the upper
part of the chest and their expansion thus rem
dered difficult, if not impossible The muscles
! which are concerned in the act of respiration,
being seldom called into play, soon lose their
power, and the individual lives but half as much
as he might, because the most important fuGc-
ton of the body is seriously impaired. If any
doubt this latter statement, let them carry the
arm in sling, entirely without use, for a short
period, and observe how soon it will begin to
lose, not only in strength, but in the volume Of
| its muscle.
DEEP, CORIoUS BREATHING,
| is therefore essential to the full need of phys
zeal life, which it is the duty, as well as privi-
lege, of every one to live, But this is impossi
Eble, even with no artificial compression of the