The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-03-22
Keep your Mouth Shut.

Keep your neuth shut in cold
weather. The nostrils are the proper
inlets and outlets of the breath. They
are purposely circuitous. The air thus
has its chill taken off before reaching
the lungs, while on its return, it RES
torres again the warmth it has abstrac-
ted. On the contrary, the air taken
in through the mouth strikes, perhaps
at q temperature of zero, directly fon
the most delicate of the local organs,
causing, often, hoarsoness, cough,
bronchitis or pulmonary congestion.
Moreover, the nostxils are natural
inhaling tubes, better than the best
sold in The shops. When the breathing
is done through them, the slight resis-
tance to expiration-and it is this re-
sistance which leads most people to
form the habit of breathing through
their mouth, causes the lungs to fill to
the full, thus calling every part of them
into necessary action, more completely
oxygenating the blood, and greatly
diminishing any consumptive tenden-
cy. In this latter view, it is important
to breathe through the nostrils in warm
weather as well as in cold, and also to
accustom ones self to sleep with the
mouth closed.
Keep the mouth shut when infectious
diseases are around Air breathed
through the mouth is borne into the
windpipe with a strong rush, carrying
along the morbid particles with which
the air may be filled, directly to the
I>ro ~>E y1xs ~.
in.erposes but little hindrance to the
action OF the contagious matter. When
the air is breathed through the nos
trils, these particles are likely to be
lodged on their moist walls, and to be
soon washed out by the natural secre-
tion.
1t is well to heed this rule when
breathing the air of any sick room
even consumption may prove infec-
tious to one long shut up with it in
a badly ventilated room-but it is of
prime Importance in cases Of typhoid
fever, scarlet fever, diphtheria, small
pox and other diseases similarly infec-
tious. Of course there can be no sub
stitute for thorough ventilatiOn-even
the best disinfectants are Of little worth
without it-still, it is often necessary
to enter rooms over whose arrange
ments we have no control.
Keep your mouth shut when the air
is filed with dust of any kind. Dust
habitually inhaled may prove, in time,
as fatal as miasma, or smallpox efflu-
vium. AS with the particles Of NOR
bid matter, so it is with dust particles;
inspiration through the mouth carries
them directly into the lungs, irritating
their delicate membranes, while in-
spiration through the nostrils lodges
most OF them along the nasal passages,
whence they are easily dislodged.
Mistresses, considerate OF the welfare
of their servants, will daily enlighten
them on this point.
But our rule is rs good. morally as
physically: for sometimes. worse mat
ter comes from the month than ever
enters it. We say, then, though it
has been said thousand times, keep
your mouth shut when You are angry.
A smothered fire. however fierce it may
be, is soon out.
We can not forbcar adding, now We
are in the mood forit, keep your mouth
shut when you have nothing worth
saying. If you have nothing within
but commonplace, or nonsense, Or
tattlc, or evil thoughts, betterlet them
rot inside than pour them out on others.
Besides, all bad kept in by a strong
! will, reacts in good.-Boston Watch
ma,4 and Reflector.