The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-05-08
WHAT We BREATHE,

The Scientific american SAYS -
We have all heard of the Black
Hole at. Calcutta. 1t was room
eighteen feet square. In this room
one hundred and forty-six persons
were confined. 1t had but one win
dow, and it was a small one. DR..
Dunglison, in his Element of Hy-
giene, says; that in less than an hour
many of the prisoners were attack
ed with extreme difficulty of breath
ing several were delirious, and the
place was filled with incoherent ra,
wing, in which the cry for water was
predominant. This was handed to
them by the sentinels, but without
effect of allaying their thirst. In
less than four hours many were
sufocated or died in dellrium. In
less than five hours the survivors,
except those at the gate, were fran
tic and outrageous. AT length, most
of them became insensible. Eleven
hours after they were imprisoned,
twenty-three out 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 for sleeping-rooms: says
the London Co.operator the differ
ence between them and the one at
Calcutta is that they are not cram
med so full of human beings. In a
word, then, we may say sleeping
departments should be large, lofty
and airy. 1t is poor economy for
health to have large spacious par
lors, and small, ili.ventilated bed
rooms. Fashion, however, is reign
ing deity in this respect, and will,
no doubt, continue to bear sway,
Notwithstanding our pretext against
her dominion.
You will scarcely drink after an.
other person from the same glass
yet You will breath over and over
the same air, charged with the filth
and poison of a hundred human
bodies around you. You can not
bear to touch a dead body because
it is SO poisonous and polluting bu,
you can take right into your lungs,
and consequently into your body,
your system, those poisonous parti
cles and noxious exhalations which
the bodies around you have refused
and which have been cast into the
atmosphere by their lungs, because
the health of their bodies required
them to be thrown off.
If the "timoroHsly nice creatures
who can hardly set a foot ON the
ground" who are so delicate tha
they run distracted at the crawling
ofa worm, flying of bat, or squeak
ing of mouse, could see what they
breathe at the midnight carousal,
the very polite ball, the bright thea
tire, they would never Sbe caught il
such company again. Nay, if they
could see what they breath in thei
own dwellings, after the doors ant
windows had been closed httl
while, they would soon keep opel
houses. More sickness is caused b,
: vitiated air than can be named. Iti
one OF the most prominent scrofuls
which is only another name for hal
the diseases that attack the huma!
body. 1t vitiates and DESTROYS tn
whole fountain of life-the blood.
In the sick room it often augment
the disease, renders it incurable.
the physician comes in and opens
window, or door stands ajar for
moment, the good nurse, or teude
mother, or the kind wife, or the low
ing sister, will fly up and close it a
though the life of the sick were q
stake. All this is well-meant kind
ness, but really cruel.
If you would have health, breath
fresh air open your windows ever
morning, and often during the day
, leave off your mufiers from the chir
; For twenty years was accustome
to never go out without a handke
chief tied closely around the mouth
and fer nearly that period have le
it off. l have had fewer colds an
, suffer far less from change of clim a,
, than previously. Let the air int
, your bedrooms; you cannot har
too much of it providep it does ne
, blow dire city upon you.