Arizona weekly enterprise., 1881-10-29
Arizona Weekly Enterprise
AN OLD SUPERSTITION.
ono That Must be Got Hid Of to In
 sure Good Health.

ono That Must be Got Rid of to In-
 sure Good Health.
 The greatest part of the disease that aftlicts civilized mankind during the winter months is unquestionably due to the fact that all fresh air is carefully ex- eluded during the night hours, and sometimes with the coming of winter the windows are securely fastened and not opened until spring. Many people seem tO think the house is sufficiently ventilated if the windows of the sleep ing rooms are left open for few min body is convinced that night mir is in lurious to health. In this connection, Dr. Felix L.. Oswald says in the Popular Scioaoe Monthly:
 Beware of the night wind be sure md close your windows after dark '" In other words, beware of Gods free air be suro and infect your lungs with the stagnant, azotized and offensive atmos- phere of your bedroom. In other words, beware of the rock spring {; stick to sewerage. Is night air injuriousP Is there single tenable pretext for such aa Idea Since the day of creation that mir has been bEeathed with impunity by millions of different nnimals-tender, delicate creatures, some of thenl--fawns, lamts and young birds. The moist mghtair of the tropical forests is breathed with impuuity by our next relatives, the anthropoid Apes-the same apes that soon perish with consumption in the close though generally well-warmed at mosphere of our Northern menageries. Thousands of soldiers, hunters and lun- berluen sleep every Elgkt in tents and open sheds without the least injurious consequences men ill the last stage of consumption have recovered by adopt ing K mi-saVage mode of life, and camping out doors in all but the storm jest nights. Is it the draught that you fear, or the contrast of temperature leekBmiths and railroad conductors sSas1D thrive under such influences. I1.fo|bt? Have you never seen boys 4&tn.k Ill the teeth of & snow-storm at .J|t4ie of fifteen miles an hour "They < kact tho effect of the cold air by &lxa<aAs exercise" Is there no other k9xt keeping warm? Does the north *..8 ssm9ge the fine lady sitting l1| I|II ss in her sleigh, or the pilot and I.@..&nIau of storm-tossed vessel? It a.-&0I De the inclemency of the golden 4r, even ill sweltering summer nights, the sweet south wind, blessed by all creatures that draw the breath of life, brings no relief to the victim of aero phub a. There is no doubt that famihes who have freed themselves from the curse of that supers tition can live out aud out healthier in the heart of great city than it's slaves on the siriest high land of the Southern Apennines.
 In iolerable location tine air of a three-roon cottage can be kept pure enough without any force ventilators or any other expensive contrivance. Open your windows; in very cold weather air tue bedrooms in daytime and the others ut night. In larger houses the kitchen, parlor and dining-room should be thor Oughly ventilated every night, also in daytime at convenient intervals, during the temporary absepce of the occupants. To saye foul air for the sake of its warmth is poor economy; experiments would shew that the difference in fuel amounts only to tIifle anyhow. Ten or twelve pounds ot coal day ought not to weigh against the direct gain in comfort and the prospective, unspeakable gain in iCllAA. OAGfsbAAAAl5 tAAO ohA4S all OhCA and over again means 10 feed the organ ism on the excretions of our own lungs, on air surcharged with noxious gases and almost depleted of the Lfe-sustain- jug principle. Azotized air affects the lungs as the substitution of excrements Sor nourishipg food would affect our di- gestiye organs; corruption sets in; pull monary phthisis is, in fact, a process oi putrefaction.
 No yentilatory eontrivance can corB. pare with the simple plan of opening $ windoN; in wet nights ram shutter Ca blind with large, overlapping bars) will keep Q room both airy aud dry. In every bedroom one of tue upper windows should be kept open night and day, ex' capt in storms accompanied with rain, or with degree of cold exceeding lt dogs. Fahrenheit. In warm summe' nights open every window in the house and every door connecting the bedroom with the adjoining apartments. Create thorough draught. Before we can hop' to fight consumption with any chance O success We have got to get rid of thu night air superstition. Like the dread of cold water, raw fruit, etc., 1t Is found ed on that mistrust of our instinct which we owe to our anti-natural relig ion. It is probably the most prolih single cause of impaired health, evsl among the civilized nations of our en frightened age, though its absurdity Ii vals the grossest delIsions of the witch craft era. The subiection of holy reaso t haarsave oould hardly 0o further