Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-01-22

NJ an orphan asylum, girl, I
about twelve years old, who had been I
long i'll of severe typhoid fever. She
was wholly Frustrated in mind and |
body, and emaciated to the last degree.
It was plain that she was falling into
that depressed condition of all the pow
crs of life that SO often prccedes Con-
sumption. Day after day we visited
her. but all rccupcratiVc power seemed
lost. Half dead and alive, the little
creature neither spoke nor moved, 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 carly cool weather of
spring. involuntarily lcapcd along,
and were instantly struck with the fact
that "Vrtue had gone out of u.s. when
we left behind us the sunlight and
warmth of the street, and entered that
northern chamber the dormitory of the
poor orphan. That inspiriting inffu-
ence the invalid had never experienced
in the slightest degree during the whole
of her sickness, as, owing to its peculiar
situation, not n ray of direct sunlight
had ever entered the chamber. We
were shocked, and for the i.rst time con-
sdered the depth of her loss, and our
own remissnc - in regard to her. The
air of the room had been pure, the cell
ings of the intlrmary were lofty, the at
PENDANTS had been faithful and saga
cious. Nothing seemed lacking, in fact,
to restore health. Yet it did not come.
On the contrary here seemed Il con-
slant downward tendency. A sun
bath in the warm rays of this delicious
spring day, is wnat this girl needs" we
instantly said to the sister superior.
This lady gladly consented TO the change
and placed the little patient in another
room having southern aspect and con-
sequently filed With sunlight. The in
valid Immediately recognized the
change, and asked, in her weak way, to
| have the curtains raised, SC rs TO let in
the full blaze of the light. Soon she
wanted to 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 exposed to the
direct rays of the sun. 1t was tho nat,
ural tendency Of disease, seeking for all
lilc-renovating influences. And we
have never met with so marked or so
rapid improvement as Immediately be-
gan in the body and mind of the girl.
Appetite and strength increased daily,
and with them burst forth again all the
joyousness of the child's heart.
Another analogous case, which, al
though we do not demonstrate by it the
influence of the sun alone, we cannot tor
bear to name, because 10y such examples
we impress perhaps upon the minds of
our readers the real principles under
lying the whole question. 4 lody 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 soutn was
| n
which was raised two or three feet
above the ground The winter was APP
preaching and rules were to be given.
Having full faith in these divine influ-
cnces OF pure air and sunlight, we di.
rectcd that she should sit on this piaZZa
every day during the winter, unless il
were too stormy. 1t was so 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 di-
rectiOns, she used to sit, wrapped in
furs, reading or writing for several
hours each day during the following
winter, and with most excellent results
She was directed frequently to make
deep inspirations, in order to fill the
lungs with pure air. She was never
chilled, because the SUMS rays and hel
warm clothing prevented it. She never
" took cold " there. On the contrary
tn balmy influences exc! ted upon hel
by her daily sun and air bath were sc
grateful her bl eathing became so much
easier after each of them, that. when
ever n storm came, and prevented the
resort to the piazza, the Invalid suffered
in CONSCIENCE thereof. Whether these
remarks will prove to our readers thai
want OF sunlight may be reckonet
among the causes of consumption may
we'll be doubted, but we trust that, al
least, they will convince some sceptics
that sunlight has potent influence il
raising the human body from variou:
weaknesses that sometimes are the pre-
cursors of fatal phthisis. -ATLANTIt
MONTHLY Jnr February