The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-08-02
From Halls Journal OF Hcalth.I
Popular Fallacies.
July IL, 1877

Popular Fallacies.
Night air and damp weather are held
in great horror by multitudes Of persons
who are sickly or of weak constitutions
consequently by avoiding 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 largest portion Of their
| time. and as a matter Of course continue
invalids, more and more ripening Tor the
grave every hour; the reason is. they are
breathing an impure atmosphere nine
teen twentieths 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 is
the tendency OF the blood to become i'm
pure in consequence Of waste and useless
matters mixing with it as IL passes
through the body that il requires a hogs
head Of air every hour Of our lives TO
unload il Of these impurities but in pro-
portion "a this air is vitiated. in such
proportion does it inffllably fail to re-
lieve the blood of. these impurities, and
impure blood is the foundation Of all
disease. The great fact that those who
are out Of doors most. summer and win
ter, day and night, rain or shine, have
the best health the woIld over. does Of
itself falsify the general impression that
night air or any other out door air Is un
healthy as compared with the in door
air az the same time.
Air is the great necessity Of life: 50
much so. that II deprived Of IL for a mo-
ment, we perish; and'so constant j. the
necessity OF the blood for contact with
the atmosphere. that every drop in the
body is exposed to the air through the
medium OF the lungs every two minutes
and half Of our existence
Whatever may be the impurity Of the
out door air Of any locality. the indoor
air OF that locality il still more impure.
because of the dust, aud decaying aud
odoriferous matters which are found.in
al Dwellings Besides, how can in door
air be more healthy than the out door
air, other Things being equal. when the
dwelling is supplied with air from with
out2
TO this very general law there Is one
exception. which il is Of the highest inn
portance to note. when the days are
hot, aud the nights cool, there are peri.
ods OF time within each twenty-four
hours. when 10 Is safest to be in doors,
with doors and windows closed; that is
to say, for the hour or two including
sunrise aud sunset, because about sun.
set the air cools. and the vapors which
the heats OF the day have caused 20 as-
crnd far above US, condense and settle
near the surface Of the earth 30 a. TO BE-
breathed by the inhabitants; as the
night grows colder, these vapors sink
lower, and are within a foot or two Of
the earth, so that they are not breathed
As the sun rises. these same vapors are
warmed. and begin TO ascend. to be
breathed again, but as the air becomes
warmer. they are carried so far above
our heads as to be innocuous. Thus il i
that the old citizens Of Charleston. S. G
remember, that while il was considered
important to live in the country during
the summer, 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 under
stand the philosophy, but they observed
the fact that those who came 10 the city
at mid-pay remained we'll while those
who did so early or late suffered from Il
All strangers at Rome are cautioned
not TO cross the Pontine marshes after
the heat OF the day is over. Sixteen Of
ships crew touching at one Of the West
India islands. slept on shore several
nights, aud thirteen Of them died Of vel.
Low fever in a few days. while Of two
hundred and eighty, who were freely
ashore during the day, not a single case
OF illness occurred. The marshes above
named are crossed in six or eight hours,
aud many travellers who do il In the
night are attacked with mortal fevers
This does. at first sight. seem TO indicate
that night air is unwholesome. at least in
the locality OF virulent malarias, but
there is no direct proof that the air about
sunrise aud sunset is not that which Is
productive Of the mischief.
For the sake Of eliciting the observa-
tious Of intelligent men, we present our
theory on this subject.
person might cross these marshes
with impunity, who would set out on his
Journey an hour or two after suudown,
and finish il an hour or two before sun.
up, especially IL he began that journey on
a hearty meal, because. in this way, he
would be travelling ia the cool OF the
night which Coolness keeps the malaria
so near the surface of the earth hs to
prevent its being breathed TO a hurtiul
extent
But if il j. deadly to sleep out Of doors
all night ia "a malnrial locality, would "a
be necessarily fatal 10 sleep in house in
such "A localiiy2 ItwOuld not ltwould
be safer to sleep in the house. especially
il the windows aud doors were closed
The reason j.. that the house has been
warmed during the day, and % kept
closed. it remains much warmer during
the night indoors than IL y outdour-
consequently. the malaria is kept by this
warmth 20 high above the head. aud 90
rarsiied, a. TO b. comparatively harmless.
This may seem TO some too nice a dis
tInctiOn altogether, hut Il will be found
throughout the world OF Nature Ga the
works of the Almighty are most strik
inulv beautiful in their minute. aud th~-"
Bsistutl are the foundation OF HIS mightiest
manifestations.
Thus it is, too, that which we call fever