The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-11
Heat and HealIIr1.


The last number Of the Virginia Medical
contain. a sketch Of an Interesting
DISCUSSION before the "Richmond Academy
f Medicine" on heating houses ana Inc IT,
ations Of health to different modes OF nest
ng, Del. S. JoYsEs reada paper on "stoves
md furnaces" in which he prominently
introduced the Latrobe stove-a popular
way of heating houses just now. lie
declared that this way of heating rooms was
opposed to comfort and the laws OF nature
&c Such stoves or furnaces" be said accord
ing to the sketch in The Monhly), "stop up
"the fre-paces, and the air of the. over
"heated room. which must be breathed, DE-
.comes stagnant. Heated air is rareneo'
4. proper moisture is diminished, and oxygen
sis less in amount than it should be. Hence
respirs,ions are quickened, while the exna'
"latiou of carbonic acid Is impeded. Con-
"seqRntly headache and flushed face, espe-
"ciaHy in those not accustomed 10 'u,-
"usces.D The Doctor remarked truly
that the great objection to furnace'neatins Is
that no DAT of fresh air IS created ana torceu
by the apparatus itself through the apart
nent. and this was bad especially for sleep.
ing apartments oyerbeated. Stoves emit
carbouic oxide. "Nature's mode OF heat
cling is not by raising the temperature OF
"the whole air. The sun warns by raoia-
I" ton. leaving the air rich in oxygen" The
DR.. deduced that the old mode OF heating
with fre.places' was preferable to stoves, De-
cause the 6re:places radiate heat without
heating the whole mass Of air in the room.
Furnace-heated schools aud churches were
toerable where ventilation was thorough
but even here preferable mode of heating
was by hot water or steam-pipes thus pre-
venting The air from having that burnt
quality which furnaces occasion.
DR.. CUESINGHAM conc1rred with DR..
Iossss in bis views OF the heating of rooms
BY stoves, and especially in bis condemnation
Of the Latrobe stove, which he thought fire.
suently cause of catarrh. He declared that
he believed the introduction of stoves had
greatly increased the number of catarrh pa
pien,s, In this opinion, if that O. layman
is worth anything, he was emineaty correct.
The hot stove in sitting.room or bed-cham-
.ber is the enemy of saan.
Several doctorsexpressed opinions varying
somewhat from those of these gentlemen.
E[Doctors will disagreed Dr.WgLLFoRD, for in"
rstance, believing that room heated by the
Latrobe was the best place fer treating rheu.
matsm, catarrh, &c, which, on the Princi-
pie that the hair of the dog cures the bite,
is, begging the Doctors pardon, good DR..
MAcGILL, to OUT surprise, declared that rheu.
matsm, neuralgia, and catarrh were oftener
found among people accustomed to fre-places
than amongst those accustomed to '~heat'
ers." He added the words "properly ar
ranged an important condition.
DR.. McCAv made an excellent comment on
the subject. Every parent should keep It as
the wholesomest precept. He said that the
idea of seeking an "equable temperature u
was wrong. ave live out of doors in a very
varying temperature. The surface of the
body should be accustomed to temperature
changes the pores Of the skin should be al
lowed the exercise of contracting and dilat-
! ing to suit the condition of the outdoor air.
Whoever goes out on the street gets into
draft. Children should be trained to have
healthy-acting skins, and thus not be allowed
to be in danger of taking cold on even
the slightest exposure"
Exactly so. Society is getting too self-in-
dulgent; and the doctors need never fear a
scarcity of patients as long as the improved
ways of comfort and luxury are adding
names to their States. We honor the grand
fraternity of doctors for the great discoveries
of late years which have thrown so much
light upon hygiene. Numerous vulgar errors
are consequently discarded. There can be
promote human health.
! We hail as among the most beneficial Of
| the rules now settled amongst the faculty
that excess of clothing is bad as well
as a deficiency of it; that health is greatly
impaired by heating, and muffiing, and
shrinking from exposure to free, pure air.
and exercise in the bracing. sharp tempera-
ture. Send out the children-Send out eve
| rybody. There is great health as we'll as
| beauty in the rosy cheeks and the gay de-
meanor of those who braYe the air and the
cold, and give activity and buoyancy to limbs
and animation to circulation. And there is
great harm done ia the close rooms heated
by stoves and full Of stag1ant air. These are
subjects for study and caution.
Wisdom here prevents suffering and pre-
serves health. Let us not be too selI.indul-
gent. Seek constant supply of pure air
keep stoves especially out of sleeping apart
ments; take proper exercise; avoid "cod-
ding; be prudent in diet, and you will
sleep well, rise fresh and strong, enjoy good
health and be cheerful, and ought to be sue
cessful. These are, indeed, the utterances of a
layRan but they are also the opinions of
the faculty.
THAT S200,000.-The telegraph tells US
that subscriptions have poured in for the