The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-01-25
SOMETHING ABOUT FRESH AIR.


We have all heard Of the Black Hole a
Calcutta. 1t was q room eighteen fee
square. In this room one hundred ant
tOriy.siS persons were confined. 1t hat
hut one window, ind that u small one
Dr. Dunglison. in his elements of lily
giene," says: I'm less than'an hour, many
OF the prisoners were attacked with OK
treme difficulty Of breathing; several wert
delirious, and the place was filled with
incoherent rawlings, in which the cry iOr
water was predominant. This was hand
cd to them by the sentinels, hut without
the elect of allaying their thirst. In less
than four hours many were suliOCatcd, OF
died in violent delrium. In five hours
the survivors, except those Ut the CRATE
were frantic and outrageous. At length
most of them became insensihlc. Eleven
hours after they were imprisoned, twenty
three only-Of the one hundred and forty
six came out alive, and those were in
highly putrid fever"
There are many "black holes like this
used Tor sleeping rooms, says the London
C0.0perdtOr; the difference between them
and the one at Calcutta is-that they are
not crammed quite so full of human be.
ings. Ina word, then, We may say a
sleeping apartment should be large, lofty
and airy II is II poor economy tor health
to have large md spacious parlOrs, and
ill.ventilatcl bedrooms. Fashion, how
ever, isa reigning deity in this respect
and will, no doubt, continue TO bear sway,
notwithstanding our protest against her
dominion.
You will scarcely drink after another
person from the same glass, yet you will
breath, over and over, thCsamG air, charg.
ed with all the filth and poison Of hun.
drcd human bodies around you. You
cannot bear TO touch dead body, be.
cause 1t Is so poisonous and pOlluting; but
you can take right into your lungs, md
consequently into your body, your sys.
TEN, those poisonous particles and hOXious
eXhalations which the bodies around you
have refused, and which have been cast
into the atmosphere by their lungs, be.
cause the health Of their bodies required
them to be thrown oft. 1.-THE humorous.
ly nice creatures who can scarcely set u
foot upon the ground" whoa so delicate
that they run distracted ut the crawling
OF q worm, flying of bat, or sQueaking Of
mouse, could sec what they breathe ut
the midnight CarOusal, the very polite
ball, and the bright theatre, they would
never be caught in such company again.
Nay, If they could see what they breathe
in their own dwellings, aIler the doors ind
windows had been closed u little while,
they would soon keep open houses. More
sickness Is caused by vitated air than can
be named. is one OF the most promi.
nent causes Of scroiula, which is another
name for halfthe diseases that attack the
human body. 1t vitiatcs and destroys the
whole fountain OF lilG-thc blood.
In the sick room it OilCn arguments the
disease, or renders II incurablc. If the
physician comes in and opens the window
or door stands ajar for II moment, the
good nurse, or the tender mother or the
kind wife or the loving sister, will fly up
and close 1t, us though the life Of the sick
were ut stake. All this Is well meant
kindness, but really cruel. II you would
have healtll-breathe fresh air, throw
open your windows every Morning, and
OIteT uuflnS inc uny leave OH your mul'
ilers from the chin. For 90 years | was
accustomed TO never going out without a
handkerchief tied closely around the
mouth, and Tor nearly that period have
left It off l have had fewer colds, and
suffered far less from changes Of climate,
than previously Let air into your bed.
rooms; you cannot have too much OF 1t,
provided II docs not blow directly upon
you. ..
Many students are injured by vitiatcd
air in their studies. These are small, and
when the doors and windows are closed,
the atmosphere soon becomes loaded with
noxious vRpors. The man is intent upon
his subject; he scarcely knows whether
he breathes or not, much less does fhc
think of what he breathes. Many also,
arc seriously injured by the manner OF
heating their studies. All closed stoves
should be avoided. The good old.flshion.
ed, open, large chimney, with u fireplace
sufficiently capacious 10 receive the wood
with but little chopping, Is much prefer
able 10 tho stoves and CRATES, md the
whole paraphernalia of tho modern fuel.
saving inventions, which have racked the
brains and tortured the intellect Of many
laymen and some Clergymen.