Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-02-09
THE HERALD.
Nests of Consumption-A Badly situa-
ted House.

In MS artlcle on consumption IN
the last number Of the Atlantic DR..
Bowditch writes as follows:
ave know two families IN Massa-
chusetts of whom the following story
may be told Two healthy broth
ers married two healthy sisters
Both had large families of children
One lived at the old homestead, on
the southern slope of one Of the mum.
erous beautiful and well-drained hills
ia that vicinity. The whole house
was bathed all day in sunlight, and
consumption did not touch any of
the young lives under its roof. The
other brother placed his house at
short distance off, but upon a grassy
plain, covered all summer with the
rankest verdure. In its front was a
large open common Ii the center
of this water Dozen up from between
the split hoofs of the cows as they
came lowing homeward in the eve
ming, and the baro-footed boy who
was driving them used to shrink
from the place, and preferred to make
the circuit of its edge rather than
follow the lead of his more quiet
comrades. Back Of the house was a
large level meadow, reaching TO the
very foundations of the building
Through hemeadow sluggishly crept
the mill stream of the adjacent vii
lage.
Still further, all the surroundings
We're inclosed by lofty hills. The
life-giving sunrose later and set ear
lier upon this than upon the other
fair homestead Till. late in the fore
noon, and long befor6 sunset left the
hillside home, damp and chilling
carnations arose from the meadow,
and day after day enveloped the ten
der forms of the children that were
trying in vain to grow up healthily
within them. But all efforts was
useless. Large families were born
under both roofs. Not one OF the
children born in the latter homestead
escaped, whereas the other family re
manned healthy ; and when, at the
suggestion Of medical friend who
knew all the facts we have told, we
visited the place for the purpose of
through,y investigating them, we
/ thought that these two houses were
q terrible significant illustration Of
the existence of this all-powerful
law Yet these two homes had moth
ing particularly noticeable by the
passing stranger. They were situa-
ted in the same township, and with~
ina very short distance one from the
other, and scarcely any one in the
village with whom we spoke on the
subject agreed with us in our opinion
that it was location alone, or chiefly
that, which gave lite or death to the
inmates OF the two
We might speak Of other home
steads which seem to US now to be
the very nests Of consumption in con-
sequence of this law, and yet not one
parent in hundred acknowledges
even theoretically his belief in the
truth OF our assertion. Parents
themselves, during long residence,
may escaped from the dire influences
of location; and therefore they mag
inc, if their children are falling, that
some other evil agency is at work,
rather than this law.
Illustrative of this error on the
part of parents, we cannot forbear
relating the following fact, We
know of house situated at the foot
and just on the edge Of small lake
The cellar, if there be one, must be
below the level of the water. The
house, built with taste, nestIes amid
overhanging thickly leaved trees,
through which the sua rays can
scarcely penetrate even at midday
The homestead is overrun with the
springing woodbine, clematis and
honeysuckle, Goodness, dampness,
and little sunlight are the characters
istics Of the spot. In the midst of
summer it is the beau ideal Of quiet,
refined country house, which any
one, even the most fastidious, would
desire to occupy. Yet as we have
looked at it, End have remembered
how one by one of the children born
in it have been cut off by consnmp~
ton, either at puberty or at early
manhood or womanhood, we have
turned with loathing from all its ex>
ternal beauties, and have regarded
them all as so many false and fatal
allurements, bringing inevitable ruin
to those who should fall within the
sphere of there influence.
These tales are no creationssof our
Imagination, but positive and I'M
deniable facts.