The Cecil Whig., 1881-12-03
PURE AIR AND HEALTH.

1t is ilari ior one .'to keep up his
spirits in certain states of the weather,
and some p"nr wretches attempt to lem-
cay this by pouring spirits down. 1t
is not the degree of heat OF cold, of dry
ness or moisture, which Gives to the air
depressing or a bracing influence:
neirhcr can It bc any change in the pro-
portion oi nitrogen ur oxygen, for this is
inyariable. some have attributed it to
the amount Of ozone that happens to lie
present. q word that is used to Indicate a
modification Of oxygen, ae"cloped by
electlica! action in thunder storms. and
the existence Of which is detected by n
peculiar smell in the atmosphere. There
are persons who are u kind of living bar
ometci and they tell you they can feel
il in their bones" when the wind is
about 10 change az thunder storm IS
impending. Rheumatic people are par
t;culariy gifted iii this respect.
The indispemSableness of pure air III
'ltNt W 'ut ttil'N iltllN ti illoll Hedltl
was not murh appreciated in days gone
by. aud this branch of knowledge has be
come much more important in its scen-
tittc aspect since the introduction of
plumbing and elaborate sewerage and
cellar furnaces and double windows and
anthracite coal burning and gas lighting
l,t-, tl1r
which have come in with the advance of
civilization. But vet. just for the want
of ihat kHowl"dge. we read Of great
r!agnes = that depopulated whole dis
tricts almost iii Il day. and the systematic
exclusion Of fresh air from the sick cham
Der sent myIiads Of people to their graves
who would have escaped if they had
only been left t" the curative resources
of nature. 1t is noticeable fact that
the most efficient remedies adopted in
oEr day for the cure of fcvers. such as
fresh air and sunlight, ice and cold water,
stimuiantS and nourishing food We're not
very long ago rcsolHteiy denied the Sul-
lering patient, ho matter how strongly
his instincts iaight crave them. | well
remember how, il former days. the pro-
fessioual licrder in Philadelphia was
habit"aiiv called in to sap the fountain
of life whenever the stream began to
nave slowly.
There are certain classes of persons
l, ii,r1,r ~ ,,,Snl "a, Il 10,
atmospheric influences. and it is not easy
to see how this evil can be avoided
When the work to be done is of such
nature Il, to require that the room should
always he kept closed and the atmos-
phere is likely to become charged with
noxious gases and poisonous dust and
irritating lilamentS, the workman can
hardly expect to fill out the full measure
Of his days. The atmosphere of an or
dlnary factory is bad enough, and | do
not wonder that a prominent English
manufacturer once said that he could not
bear to punish OF even awaken the little
children in the employ when they fell
asleep in the mill. How they manage to
keep awake Al all in such Il mephitic at
mosphere is a mystery. for the incessant
clatter OF the machinery. when one is
used t. it, operates rs Il Sophorc. II is
tue that the human system has a strange
facility i'll adapting itself to untoward
surroundings and the heart will keep on
beating VIXEN one might suppose that it
must soon collapse and stop forever.
Those who labor habitually in the open
air have a much stronger assurance of
health and longevity. although they may
be exposed to great mutations of heat
and cold. and the body will accnstom it
self TO these changes mare readily than
it can to any unwholesome elements in
the ali. Even an extreme artificial heat
is not always prejudicial to the health.
rs may be seen in tie brawny frames of
rhe men who toll and sweat over the
pudding furnaces of Il foundry. The
heat seems 10 pass through them and
oAZc ont at their faces without doing any
Ni"tEt 'ldili. ANA lileN are ultllc sure 10
be in no danger from the presence of any
malariouS germs in the atmosphere.
Students and writer's. who pass their
days in ctoSr and confined apartments.
bending all the while over their desks.
ncglectful of outdoor exercise. must eX-
prct. sooner or later, to pay the bitter
penalty. In order to do healthy intel
lcntual work one must keep himself in
healthy condition. If this law were
more generally regarded The world would
be spared many a lugubrious poem, and
unwh"iesome tale. and wearisome trea-
tise and stupid sermon.
The depressing and baleful effects Of