Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-11-11
Burning Lights Unhealthy I'm
Sleeping Rooms.

Sleeping Rooms.
1t is not generally known that burn.
ing lights are unhealthy in sleeping
rooms. The combustion of gas, oil,
tallow or whatever material is used for
Illuminating purposes. renders the air
impure for it consumes oxygen, the
great life sustaining element in the
atmosphere. Man cannot live, only for
few moments, in q room deprived OF
its oxygen. Ut should be remembered
that air is composed of oxygen % parts
and nitrogen n parts.) Now when this
element is anyway reduced below the
standard of pure outdoor air, it is sure
to interfere with the healthy functions
of life and lay the foundations of
disease.
Science teaches us, that respiration
and combustion, require the same ele-
ment to support them, namely. oxygen.
Put burning lamp in an air tight room
and when this element in the air is
used us, the lights will go out and,
under the same conditions, a man
would die. Every one has noticed what
slow progress fire will make when con-
fined to a closed room, and how quick
it will blaze up when a door is opened
and free air is admitted. They have
also noticed how dim light will burn
toward morning in a closed sick room.
No one will need be told that burning
lights in a sleeping room is unhealthy,
if they have ever entered one from the
pure air, late at night, where two or
three persons we're sleeping with a
burning kerosene lamp and smell the
foul and noxious air, that has been de-
prived of its oxygen and poisoned by
carbonic acid and half burned kerosene
lamp smoke; which charges the blood
with noxious matter and so perverts
the action of the brain and nervous
centres that neither the physical nor
mental powers can be duly exercised.
People who sleep In this way, will arise
In the morning, tired and unrefreshed,
with a bad taste in the mouth, and a
sense of heat and aching in the head.
Their heads feel dull and hot, their
minds are sluggish and they are unfit
for study or labor until they have re-
cuperated their systems with some of
Gods pure air, which can be had for
nothing anywhere out of doors.
A room which requires an artificial
light, should be well ventilated to keep
the air in a pure condition. If you
must keep a light burning all night
open your windows and keep a constant
supply of fresh air in your room then
you will sleep sweetly, awake in the
morning, refreshed and invigorated,
with clear head and strong arm ready
for the duties of the hour.
Prof. Parkes, in his Practical Hugi-
enc says: "The products of gas com
bustion are for the most part allowed
to escape into rooms, but certainly this
should not be allowed, when gas is
burnt in the large quantities commonly
used. The immense quantity of gas
often used causes great heat, humidity
of the air, and there is some sulphurous
acid, an excess of carbonic acid, and,
probably, a little carbonic oxide, to
which some of the effect may be due.
Weaver found as much as 5.32 volumes
of carbonic acid per 1000 in the room
of framework knitter in Leicester,
with IA gas lights burning. In other
the amounts were 3 %, 4.6,
down to 2. ii volumes per 1000. This
amount has very injurious effect on
health, as shown long ago by DIR. Guy.
In workshop in Paris, with 400 men
and 400 gas burners, the health of the
men was very bad. General NORM in
troduced good ventilation, and the
of cases of illness was reduced
one-third. The appetite of the men,
formerly very bad. greatly improved.
According to DR.. Zock, coal gas gives
off rather more carbonic acid for an
equal illuminating power than oil, but
less than petroleum. DIR. Odling found,
for equal illuminating power, that
candles gave more impurity to the air
than gas. An excess of 2 per 1000 vol
umes of carbolic acid in air, renders it
and so will destroy life.
In reading or working by lamp-ight,
the rays of light should fall directly on
the book or work and not on the eye.
Many persons have impaired their eye
sight, permanently, by having the light
by their side, and letting the rays shine
obliquely across the eye. The face
should be in the shade and the light
shine full on the object looked at. This
can be accomplished BY lamp-shade,
a hanging-lamp, or the light placed
above and back of the person using it.
A fire burning in a room consumes
oxygen and gives off as the products of
carbonic acid, unconsumed
particles of carbon and water, which
pass up the chimney, in smoke. Now
the air Ised to supply the fire, is re-
placed by pure air which finds its way
in through the cracks and crevices
around the doors and windows and
about the room. Unless there is q
fresh supply the fire will not burn long.
fire is healthy and a puri-
fer of the air; especially an open fire,
which always keeps the air good and
pure by a constant current going up the
chimney, while all the products of lamp
remain in the room to
poison the air.
/ saw a good illustration OF bad air
the other day.-An old lady asked me
what made her poor, pale, puny, peevish
little grandchild "take cold so easy.
he was in a small room with curtains
down and shawls pinned up over the
curtains, excluding light and air, and
inhaling air which was foul and unfit
10 breathe. Said she, 81 haint carried
that child out door this winter, nor
opened window, and 1 have kept the
room hot night and day. and a lamp
burning all night for fear something
would happen. 1 do believe people are
growing weaker, if not wiser. Why ]
when 1 was gal, We used to live in an
old log house, with an old-fashioned
fireplace, and a chimney so big we
could set by the fire and look out and
see the stars, and the wind would
whistle through the cracks, and we
went barefooted till the snow came,
and lived on Pea-Porridge and Bread
and-Milk and Potatoes and Salt, and
we're all as hearty and tough as bucks. "
said, Madam, if you will only give
your child as good air and as good plain
food as you used to have, he will be as
healthy as you we're. This cannot be
at once, because You have
his appetite with dainties, and
IA L l.. 80