Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-02-04
Sunshine for the COmsum ptly
BY DR.. HENRY /. BowpIrcH.

BY DR.. HENRY I. BowDlrCH
| We have been told by some con
sumptives that one of the best pro
scriptions we have made has been ,hei
removal from north room to the sun
ny south chamber. As we write, two
cases come to mind, strikingly illustra
tive o the suns benign influence. W.
had been attending, at an orphan asy
lum, girl about twelve years old, who
had been long Ill of severe typhoid fe
yer. She was wholly FRUSTRATED in
mind and body, and emaciated to the
last degree. 1t was plain that she was
falling into that depressed condition OF
all the powers of life that so often pre-
cedes consumption. Day after day we
visited her, but all recupera1ive power
seemed lost. Halt dead and alive, the
little creature neither spoke nor mov-
ed, and ate only on compulsion. One
day, on our way to visit her, we felt
that elastic thrill which The warm RAYS
OF the sun impart in the early cool
weather OF spring We inyoluntarily
leapcd along, and were instantly struck
with the tact that virtue had gone out
OF us, when we lett behind us the sun
light and warmth of the street, and en-
tered that northern chamber, the dor
mltorv OF the poor orphan. That in
spirltlng lniuence the invalid had new
er experienced IN the slightest degree
during the whole of her sickness, as,
owing TO its peculiar situation, not a
ray OF Greet sunlight had ever entered
the chamber. We were shocked, and
tor the first time considered the depth
OF her loss, and our own remssness i'm
regard to her The air of the room
had bern pure, the ceilings of the in
Urinary were lofty, the attendants had
been faithful and sagacious. Nothing
seemed lacking. III fact, to restore
health. Yet it did not come. On the
contrary, there seemed a constant
downward tendency "a sun bath in
the warm rays Of this delicious spring
day is VIII this girl needs" we instant
~ said to the sister superior. This
lacy gladly consented to the change.
and placed the little patient in another
room having southern aspect, and
consequently filled with sunlight. The
invalid Immediately recognized the
change, and asked, in her weak way,
to have the curtains raised. SO az to let
IN the tnIl blaze Of the light Soon she
wanted 10 sit up and directed that the
easy chair, in which she was propped,
Should be SO placed as to allow her
whole body below her face to be ex-
posed to the direct rays of the sun. 1t
was the natural tendency of disease,
seeking for all life-r' novating influenc.
es. And We have never met with so
marked or SO rapid Improvement as
Immediately began in the body and
nina ofthe girl. Appetite and strength
increased daily, and with them burst
forth again all the joyousuess of the
child's heart.
Another analogous case, which, al
though we do not demonstrate by it
the Influence OF the sun alone, we can
not torbear to name, because by sach
examples we impress perhaps on tn
minds Of our readers he real princi-
pies underlying the whole question:
4 lady aged about thirty, resident in
the northern part OF New England,
consulted us for undoubted tubercular
disease of the lungs. Her house was
well situated, and on the side towards
the south was small piazza resting on
stone steps, which was raised two or
three feet above the ground. The win
ter was approaching and rules were to
be given. Having full faith in these
divine influences OF pure air and sun
light, we directed that she should sit
out on this piazza every day during the
winter, unless it We're too stormy, 1t
was 30 arranged as to shut out the cool
air on three sides. and to admit the
full blaze OF sunlight in front. Here,
according to our directions, she used
to sit, wrapped in furs, reading or writ
ing tor several hours each day during
the following winter, and with most
excellent results. She was directed
frequently 70 make deep inspirations,
in order to fill the lungs with pure arr.
She was never chilled, because the
suns rays and her warm clothing pre-
vented it. She never took cold" there.
On the contrary, the balmy influences
exerted upon her by her daily sun and
air bath were so grateful; her breath
ing became SO much easier after each
OF them, that, whenever storm came,
and prevented the resort to the piazza,
the invalid suffered in consequence
thereof Whether these remarks will
prove to our readers that want of sun
light may be reckoned among the
causes of consumption may well be
doubted, but we trust that, at least,
they will convince some sceptics that
sunlight has a potent influence in rails
ing the human body from various
weaknesses that sometimes are the pre-
cnrso-s Of fatal phthisis.- ATLANTIC
MONTHLY for February.
Dor.To DouTrIcr parhoro - 20 >, - =