The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-03-15
Keep your Mouth Shut.

Keep your mouth shut in cold
weather. The nostrils are the proper
inlets and outlets Of tile breath. They
are purposely circuitous. The air thus
has its chill taken off before reaching
the lungs, while on it's return, It res
torres again the warmth it has abstrac-
ted. On the contrary, the air taken
in through the mouth strikes, perhaps
l<at a temperature Of zero, directly on
the mCst delicate of the lec:ll organs,
causing, often, hoarseness, cough,
bronchitis or pulmonary congestion.
Moreover, the nOstrils are natural
inhsling tubes, better than the best
sold in the shops! When the breathing
is done through, them, tho slight resis-
tance to expiration-and it is this re-
sistance which leads most people tv
form the habit of breathing through
their mouth, causes the lungs to I'll to
the full, thus calling every part Of them
into necessary action, more completely
oxygenating the hood, and greatly
diminishing any c0nsninpfive teDden-
cy. III tlis latter view, 1t is important
to breathe through the nostrils in warm
weather as well as in cold, and also to
accustom one's self to sleep with the
mouth closed
Keep the iaouth shut when infectious.
diseases arc around. Air brcatl,ed
through the mouth is borne into the
windpipe with a strong rush, carrying
along the morbid particles with which
the sir may be filed, directly to the
lungs, the thin membrane Of which
intelposes but little hindrance to the
action Of the contagious matter. When
the air is breat4,ed through the nos
trils, these particles are likely to be-
lodged on their moist walls, aud to be
soon washed out by the natural secre-
J ton.
1t is we'll 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
u badly ventilated room-but it j. 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-cven
| the best disinfectants areOf little worth
| without it-still, it is often necessary
to enter rooms over whose arrange
mcnts we have no control.
Keep your mouth shut when the air
| is filled with dust of any kind. Dust
habitually inhaled may prove, in time,
as fatal as ,niasma, or smallpox efflu-
viun. As with the particles Of NOR
bid matter, SO it is with dust particles;
linspiration through the mouth carries
them directly intotl,e lungs, irritating
their delicate membranes, while ii-e
spiration through the nostrils lodges
most of them along the nasal passages,
whence they are easily dislOdged.
Mistresses, consi,leratc Of the welfare
Of their servants, will duly eDlighten
| them OH this point.
| Bnt our rule IS as good morally as
! physically: for sometimes wOrse mat
| ter comes from the mouth than ever
enters it. We say, then, though it
has been said a thousand times, keep
your mouth shut when you are angry.
4 smotl,ered fire, however fierce it NAV
be, is SOON ont.
We can not fmbear adding, now We
are in the mood forit, keep yonr mouth
shut when you have nothing worth
saying. II you have nothing within
but commonplace, or nonsense, or
tattle, OF evil thoughts, betterlet them
rot inside than poar them out OH others.
Besides, all bad kept III by a strong
! will, react. il, good. .-Bostoa Watcis-
man and }tcaector..