The Placer herald., 1863-06-13
Sleeping in a Draught of Night Air
BY DIR. G. b. WINDSHIP.

1t is related of Methuselah, that when five
hundred years of age, an angel said to him
"Arise, Meihuselah, and build thee house
for lhon shalt live yet five hundred years
longer" and that the old gentleman replied
If | am to live but five hundred years
longer, it is not worth while to build me a
house I wiN steep IN the open air, as Ihaue
been used to d."
Fanciful as The above anecdote may be
espe' tally the angel part Of it, have no
doubt that Me'huseah did practice sleeping
in the open air as one means of preserving
health, and consequently of prolonging life.
In modern times, similar custom associated
with remarkable longevity, is said to have
been pursued by Ken,igern, a Welcbman,
from the lime he arrived at maturity until
he had attained his hundred and eighty sixth
year-an age not very much inferior to that
attributed to Melhuselah, if we admit that
until the time Of Abram year did not
exceed three months.
Among the more than two thousand in
stances recorded of persons living to an age
of between one hundred and two hundred
and seven, it would be exceedingly interest
ed the ineslimabe advantages of a constant,
Unlimited supply of fresh air, during their
thirty -thTee per cent. Of life passed in sleep.
But on this point hographers have been
almost invariably silent. Long life in only
partly an inheritance - never wholly so; and
when we hear individuals living far beyond
the ages of their parents and grandparents,
we may well suspect that they acquired a
surplus of life by the persistent observance Of
acme pet rules, which bad rarely been adopt
ed hy ordinary mortals; and firmly believe
that sleeping in moderate dlaught Of the
night air has not unfrrquently been one Of
them. To obtain such draught, it is not
necessary to DO as i, is said kentigern and
Malhuselah djl-le on the ground for the
arch Of heaven for a roof as that might be
dangerous practice IN any malarous local
i'y. We have merely to have ali the win
dows OF our sleeping apartment open to
such an extent as to ensure thorough ventlla-
ton, in order to realize all the benefits of
sleeping literally out of doors, and at the
same time escape much, if not all the poss'
BILE disadvantages of camping out"
| know it is popular prejudice supported
by high medical authority, that exposure to
might air" is perilous for ordinary persons.
The grand error is made in concluding that
it is necessarily so under all circumstances.
| doubt if there is one individual among a
thousand confirmed invalids who could not,
even in the winter time, speedily, safely, and
very advan!ageousy acquire the ability to
endure a preceptible draught Of might air, y
and whether the brunt of it be received by
the face or the back of the head, the latter
being as little susceptible to the influence Of
a draught as the other under an equa
amount Of exposure.
The evils resulting from breathing night
after night, an atmosphere becoming more
and more tainted as the morning approaches
probably equal, if they do not exceed. those
resulting from the Incorporate use of spirit
uous liquor Indeed, it is questionable
whether craving for stimulants has no.
been occasionally created by this abomns
bic yet prevalent custom of keeping the
windows Of sleeping apartment either
entirely closed or opened but ''crack.'
They should be widely opened every nigh
throughout the year, unless the weather il
intensely cold, or the wind unusually violent
or some other valid reason existing for miti
eating draught.
Were this practice universally adopted,