Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-02-27
Sunshine for Consumptives.
ny DR. HENRY !. BowDrrru.


We have been told by some consump
tiyes that ono Of tho bOst prescriptions
we have made has been their removal
from north room TO the sunny south
chamber. AS we write, two cases come
Ia mind strikingly illustrative of tho
suns benign influence. We had been
attending, ut an orphan asylum, pirI
about twelve years old, who had been
long Ill of severe typhoid fever. Sh,
was wholly Frustrated IN mind and body
and emaciated to the last degree, II
was plain that she was falling into that
depressed condition of all the powers OF
lite that so often prccedcs consumption
Day after day we visited her, but all re.
cupcrative powers seemed lost. Halt
dead and alive, the little creature neither
spoke nor moved, and ate only on com.
pulsiOn. One day, on our way to visit
her, W. felt that elastic thrill which the
warm nys OF the sun impart in the early
cool weather of spring, We invoIuI,.
tarIly loapcd along, and were Instantly
struck With the tact that "virtue had
gone out of us" when we left behind us
the sunlight and warmth of the street.
dOrmltory of the poor orphan. That il-
spiriting Influence the Invalid had never
experienced III the slightest degree dur
ing the whole of her sickness, as, owing
To its peculiar situation, rot n ray ot
direct sunlight hal ever entered tine
chamber. We were shocked, and tor
the first time considered the depth Of
her loss, and our own rcmissmcss ln re-
gard To her. The AIR of the room had
been pure, the ceilings OF the ihtirmary
were Iotly, the atteudantS had been taitlI-
tul and sagaeious. Nothing seemed
lacking, ia tact, 10 Restore health. Yet
II did not con". On the contrary, there
seemed Il constant downward tendency.
~ suli-bath III he warm RAYS of the de-
licious spring day is what this girl
nceds," we instantly sail 20 tn" SISTER
superior. This lady gladly consented to
the change, and placed the little patient
i'll another room having Il southern AS
pect, and consequently filled with sun.
light. The Invalid Immediately rccoy-
nIScd the change, and asked, in her weak
way, to have the curtains raised, so as
to let in the full blaze of the hight. Soon
she wanted to SIT up, and directed the
easy chair, in which she WAS prupptd.
should be so placed IA to all0w her
whole body below her face to be exposed
to the direct rays of the sun. 1t was
the natural tendricy OF disease. seeking
for all liTc.reIova,ing influences. And
we have never met with 50 marked or so
rapid Improvement as Immediately be-
gan in the body and mind of the girl.
Appetite and strength Increased dailt;,
and with them burst tortle again all tho
iryonsness of the child's heart.
Another analogous ease, which,, al
though we do not demonstrate by il tie
influence OF the sun alone, we can not
t"rbrar to nnne, because by such ex-
amplrs we impress perhaps on the minds
of ON readers he real principles under
lying The whole question. y lady aged
about thirty, resident ia the northern
part of New England, consulted us for
nmdoubted tubercular disrnsc of the
lungs. Her house was well situated;
and on the side toward the south was !;
small piazza, resting on stone steps,
which was raised two or three irct above
the ground. The winter was approach
ing and rules were to he given. Having
full faith in these divine Influences of
pnre air and sunlight, we directed that
she she uld sit ont on this piazza every
day during tie wiutrr, unless it were
too stormy. 1t was 80 arranged rs To
shut ont the cool air on three sides. and
to admit the full blaze of sunlight in
front. Here, according to orr directions,
she used ta lit, wrapped in furs, reading
or writing for several hours each day
during the following winter, and with |
most excellent results. She was directed |
frequently 10 make deep inspirations, in |
order to fill the lungs with pure air
She was never chilled, because the suns |
rays and her warm clothing prevented |
II. She never "took cold' there On |
the contrary, the halmy influences eN-
ertod upon her by her daily sun and air
bath were so grateful; her breathing be-
come 50 much en-, icr after each of them. |
thar, whenever n storm cams, and pre-
vented the resort to the piazza, the in
valid suffered in consequence thereof |
W neither these remarks will prove to |
our readers that want of sunlight may
he reckonpd amouS the causes OF CON
may well be doubted, but we
trust that, at least, they will convince
some skrp ics that sunlight has potent
Influence i'll raising the human body
from various weaknesses that sometimes
are precursors of fatal phthisis.
AtIomtic Monthiy for FsJwdyU
Who ARE DRrNKArDs.-Young friends