The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-10-05
COLD Bedrooms. s.

id changes OF temperature IS AWAY .
a trap for danger. To persons who
are in the prime Of life, and who
are in robust health, this danger is
less pronounced, but to the young
and the feeble it is a most serious
danger. It is especially dangerous
to aged people to sleep in a room
thst is easily lowered in warmth.
When the great waves of cold come
in the winter season, old people
begin to drop off with a rapidity
that is perfectly startling. We
take up the list Of deaths during
these seasons, and the most marx
ed of facts is the number of deceas
ed aged persons. II IS like an
epidemic of death by old age. The
public mind accepts this record as
indicative of g general change OF
external conditions, and of a NOR
tality, therefore. that it is necessary
as a result OF that change. | would
not myself dispute that there is a
line of truth and sound common
sense and common observation IN
this view, but when we descend
from the general to the particular
we find that much Of the mortality
seen in such excess among the
aged is induced by mistakes on
the subject Of warmth in the bed
room.
The fatal event comes about
somewhat in this way. The room
in which the enfeebled person has
been sitting before going to bed
has been warmed probably up to
summer heat; light meal has been
taken before retiring to rest, and
then the bedroom is entered. The
bedroom perchance has no fire in
it, or, if fire be lighted, provision
is not made to keep it alight for
more than an hour or two. The
result is that in the early part
of the morning, from three to four
o'clock, when the temperature OF
the air in ali parts is lowest, the
glow from the fire or stove which
should warm the room has ceased,
and the room is cold to an e1-
treme degree. In country houses
the water will often be found frozen
in the hand-basins or ewers under
these conditions.
Meanwhile, the sleeper lies un.
conscious of the great change
which is taking place in the air
around him. Slowly and surely
there is a decline of temperature to
the extent, it Vnay be of thirty
Or forty degrees on the Fahrenheit
scale; and though he may by fairly
covered with bed-clothes, be is re-.
ceiving into MS lungs this cold air,
by which the circulation through
the lungs is materially modified.
The condition Of the body itself
is at this time unfavorable for
meeting any emergency. In the
period between midnight and six in
the morning the animal vital pro-
cesses are at their lowest ebb. tits
in these times that those who are
enfeebled from any cause most
frequently die. Physicians often
consider these hours as critical, and
forewarn anxious friends in respect
to them. From time immemorial
those who have been accustomed to
wait and tend on the sick have
noted these hours most anxlously,
SO that they have been called by
one of our old writers the hours of
fate In this space of time the in
fuence Of the life, giving sun has
been longest Withdrawn from man,
and the hearts that are even the
strongest beat then with subdued
tone. Sleep is heaviest, and death
is nearest to us ali, in the hours Of
fate
The safest method is to have the
all of the room, short time before
it is occupied, brought up to uni
form temperature of sixty to sixty
five degrees Fahrenheit. It should
never fall Eve degrees below sixty
degrees, and never rise above sixty
five degrees under ordinary cir
cumstances. In cases where the
occupant OF the room is ex'
tremely enfeebled it may be neces-
sary to raise the temperature to q
higher point.
4 mistake IS sometimes made IN
observing the temperature. The
reading of the thermometer is taken
in one part of the room only, per
haps in the v:armest part-that is
TO saw. over the fireDiace or from