Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-03-30
The Living Things we Breathe.

Great interest has been excited in England
lately by a lecture delivered by the eminent
physician, Prot. Tyndall The subject was
Haze and Dust In series of striking
and beautiful experiments he exhibited the
effect of light upon the dust particles Of the
air, and the powerful reflective properties
belonging to them. He showed how these
particles euuld be burned out by heat, and
how the atmosphere could also be cleared of
WOOL Finally, he dwelt upon the injury
done TO the lungs, and consequently to the
health, by ordinary inorganic dust but more
especially lie spoke of the organic germs of
many diseases which are supposed to find
their way into the human system as invisi
bic ard extremely minute dust atoms, breath
ed in with the air.
The germ theory of epidemic diseases,
such as the Asiatic cholera, scarlet fever,
typhus, and all malarious fevers, is by no
means new one. 1t has long been advo
Gated as the best attainabe explanation of
epidemic phenomena. Physicians howev
er, are not unanimous in its favor, and many
scientific men say that the alleged existence
of disease germs in the air is as yet merely
an assumption which must be proved before
we can reason upon the subject.
But Professor Tyndall has at least shown
that there are inyriads OF living particles
hat is, living in the same sense as plants
live, and perhaps "a animals also-foating
about in the atmosphere Of al great cities,
and that IN london mau b,caties into l.i-
lungs about thirty seven and half millions
of these living germs in the space of ten
hours. Certainly this fact, taken in connec-
ton with many others previously known,
greatly strengthens the probability in favor
| of the germ theory of disease; and if, with
| Prof Tyndali, we assume it to be true. the
question at once arises, how can we guard
against the entrance of these dangerous par
ticles into the body?
OF course ali organic germs cannot be re
garded as certainly productive of injury to
| the human system, but only such as are the
seeds of disease Professor Tyndall sug
| geats, as the best safeguard the cotton wool
respirator, placed so as to cover the mouth
and nostrils. 1t completely filters the air,
and all impurities. both living and organic,
are removed in passing through it. The dis
| tinguished lecturer said that in his opinion
such respirators must come into general use
as defence against contangion. By means
| of them the noxious air around a patient
may be made pure, and the attendants can
| breathe it unharmed. For ''in all proba-
bility, says Prof. Tyndall, 1.-THE protection
of the lungs viii be the protection of the en-
tire system.
These recent experiments and discoveries
in this most interesting field OF scientific in
vestiga,ion, show us the wisdom OF many
customary precautions against disease, the
reasons of which have not heretofore been
cleary understood. OF this character is the
custom OF kindling fires to purify the atmOs-
phere during the prevalence OF an epidemic
also the use Of closely woven net curtains in
maarious localities as preventive Of fever
and the habit of travelle is always to sleep
with the mouth closed, and if possible GOV.
cred, in fever districts. Mr. Waller, an Af-
rican traveller, says that while on the banks
of the Zam 1ezi river, where the marshes
rendered the country PARTICULARLY unhealthy,
his party found much protection from dis
case merely by the use of mosquito curtains.
After being tumbled about in travel the f.
brc of the material became 80 trayed as to
form in connection with the net work fine
gauze The dew, falling at night upon this,
formed perfect filter for the unhealthy air,
and those who used these curtains were able
10 make long journeys through this mias-
matte region without a days illness from
! fever.
There is still very much that battles reason
and inquiry in regard tosepidemic disease,
but if the great questions belonging to this
branch OF science are ever to be answered,
it can only be through the continuance of
patient. profound, and practical investl-
cations by able men, such as these of Prof
! Tyndall to which we haye referred