The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-08-02
Popular Fallacies.

Night air and damp weather are
held in great horror by multitudes
Of persons who are sickly OF Of weak
constitutions consequently, by q.
voiding the night air, and damp
weather, and changeable weather,
and weather that is considered too
hot or too cold, they are kept within
doors the much larger portion of
their time, and ms q matter Of course
continue invalids, more and more ri
pening for the grave every hour |;
the reason is, they are breathing IN
impure atmosphere nineteon-twen-
tieths Of their whole existence.
As nothing can wash us clean but
pure water, so nothing can cleanse
the blood, nothing can make health
giving blood, but the agency Of pure
air. So great IL the tendency Of the
blood to become impure in conse-
quence Of waste and useless matters
mixing with it as it passes through
the body, that it requires hogsh cad
Of air every hour of our lives to un-
load it Of these impurities but in
proportion as this air is vitiated in
such proportion does it infallibly fail
TO relieve the blood OF these impuri
ties, and impure blood is the foun-
dation OF oil diseases. The great
fact that those who are ont of doors
most, summer and winter. day and
night, rain or shine, have the best
health the world over, does Of itself
falsify the general impression that
night air or any other outdoor air
is unhealthy as compared with in
door air at the same time.
Air is the great necessity OF ife
so much so, that IL deprived Of it for
moment, we perish and 80 con.
stant is the necessity Of the blood
for the contract with atmosphere,
that every drop in the body is expos
ed TO the air through the medium
Of the lungs, two minutes and half
Of our existence.
Whatever may be the impnrity Of
the out door air OF any locality, the
indoor air OF that locality is still
more impure, because OF tho dust,
and decaying odoriferous matters
which are found in oil dwellings,
Besides, how con in door air be
more healthy than the outdoor air,
other things being equal. when the
dwelling is supplied with air from
without!
To this worry general Inv there ia
one exception, which it is of the
highest Importance to note. When
the days are hot, and the nights
cool, there are periods Of time with
in each twenty-four hours when it is
safest to be in doors, with the doors
and windows closed that il to say,
for the hour or two including sun.
rise and sunset, because about sun
set, the air cools, and tho vapors
which the heats of the day have
caused to ascend far above us, con-
dense and settle near the surface oi
the earth, 30 as to be breathed by
the inhabitants, as the night grows
colder, these vapors sink lower, and
, are within q foot or two from the
|, earth, so they are not breathed. AS
the sun rises, these same vapors are
warmed, and begin to ascend, 10 be
breathed again, but as the air be.
comes warmed they are carried 90
far above our heads as to be inocuous
Thus it is that the old citizens oi
Charleston. s. G. remember, that
while it was considered important to
live in the country during the sum-
mer, the common observation Of the
people originated the custom OF rid,
ing into town, not in the cool OF the
evening Or Of the morning, but in
the middle Of the day. They did
not understand the philosophy, bni
they observed the fact that those
who came to the city at mid day re.
, maiued we'll, while those who did sc
. early or late suffered from IL.
J All strangers at Rome are caution
! cd not to cross the Pontine marshes
after the heat Of the day is over
Sixteen OF Q ships crew, touching a,
; one Of she West India islands slept
. on shore several nights, and thirteen
OF them died Of yellow fever in q
few days, while out OF two hundred
aud eighty, who were freely ashore
during the day, not single case ol
. illness occurred. Tho marshes a
bove named are crossed In six OF
; eight hours and many travellers who
do il in the night are attacked with
mortal fevers. This does, at FIRST
sight seem TO indicate that night oil
is unwholesome, at least in the 10.
. cality of virulent malarias, but there
is no direct proof that the air abou1
sunrise and sunset is not that which
is productive Of the mischief.
For the sake Of eliciting the OBJ
! lservations OF intelligent men, v,
present our theory on this subject.
J A person might cross { h es
marshes with impunity who woult
set ont on his journey an hour o.
two after sundown, and finish it ar
hour or two before sun up, espe
cially il he began that Journey on {
hearty meal, because, in this way, h
, would be travelling in the cool O
the night which ooolness keeps tn
: malaria 80 near the surface OF tn,
earth as TO prevent ito being breath
: cd TO . hurtful extent.
But II it 10 deadly 10 sleep ont o
doors all night in malsrial locality