Weekly Trinity journal., 1870-07-23
Night Air.

During the months of September and October,
throughout the United States wherever there are
chlls and fever and ague, intermittents or the
more deadly forms of fever, 1t is pernicous,
and even dangerous practice, to sleep with the
outer doors or windows open because miasm,
marsh emanatons, the product of decaying
vegetation-all of which are different terms, ex-
pressing the same thing-s made so light by
heat, that it ascends at once toward the upper
portion of atmospheric space, and is not breathed
during the heat of the day, but the cool nights
of the fall of the year condense it, make it heavy
and it then settles on the ground, is breathed
into the lungs incorporated into the blood and
if in its concentrated form, as in certain locali-
ties near Rome, it causes sickness and death
within a few hours. The plaques which devas-
tated eastern countries i'll earlier ages, were
caused by the concentrated emanatons from
marshy localities or districts of decaying veg
citation and the common observation of the
higher class of people was, that those who occu-
pied the upper stories, not even coming down
stairs for market supplies, but drew them up by
ropes attached to baskets, had entire immunity
from disease, for two reasons, the higher the
abode, the less compact is the atmosphere, be-
sides, the higher rooms in a house, in summer,
are the warmer ones, and the miasm is less con-
centrated, The lower rooms are colder making
the air more dense. So, by keeping all outer
doors and windows closed, especially the lower
OHeS tne DululnB Is less cOOl ana cOmIOrtaDle,
but it excludes the infectious air, while its
warmth sends what enters through the crevices
Immediately to the ceilings OF the rooms, where
it congregates, and is not breathed hence it is
that men who entered the bar-room and dining
saloons of the National hotel, Washington, sew
eral years ago, were poisoned, while ladies who
occupied upper rooms, where constant fires were
burning, escaped attack, although remaining in
the house for weeks at time. it was for the
same reason that DR.. Bush was accustomed to
advise families in the summer time, not being
able to leave the city to cause their younger chill
dren especially, to spend their time above stairs.
We have spent lifetime ourselves in the west
and extreme south, and know in our own per-
son, and as to those who had hrmness to follow
our recommendation, that whole families will
escape all forms of fall fevers who will have
bright fires kndled at sunrise and sunset in the
family room. But it is too plain prescription
to secure observance in more than one family in
ten thousand After the third frost, and until
the fall of the next year, it is an important
means of health for persons to sleep with an
outer door or window partially open, having
the bed in such position, as to be protected
from the draught of air. We advise that no
person should go to work take exercise in
the morning on an empty stomach but if it is
stimulated to action by cup of coffee, or a crust
of bread, or apple, or orange, exercise can be
taken, not only with mpunity, but high advan-
tage in all chill and fever localities es.--HdW
journal Of Health.