Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-05-20
An Old Superstition.

The greatest part OF the disease that
sfflicts civilized mankind during the
winter months is. unquestionably due
to the fact that all fresh air is carefully
excluded 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
sleeping rooms are left open for a few
minutes during the day, but almost
verybody is convinced that night air
is Injurious to health. In this connec-
ton DR.. Felix L. Oswald says in the
Popular Science Monthly:
"Beware of the night wind; be sure
and close your windows after dark"
In ether words, beware of Gods free
air; be sure and infect your lungs with
the stagnant. szotized and offensive
atmosphere of your bedroom. In other
words, beware of the rock spring
stick to sewerage. Is night air iDjuri
Gus? Is there single tenable pretext
for such an idea? Since the day of
creation that air has been breathed with
immunity by millions Of different ami.
mab-tender, delicate creatures, some
of them-fawns, lambs, and young
birds. The moist night air of the
tropical forests is breathed with impu-
nifty by our next relatives, the anthro-
poil apes-the same apes that soon
perish with consumption in the close
though generally well-warmed atmos.
phae of our northern menageries.
Thousands of soldiers. hunters and
lumbermen sleep every night in tents
aud open sheds without the least
injurious consequences; men in the
laststage of consumption have recov.
cred by adopting a semi-savage mode
of life, and camping ont doors in all but
the stormiest nights. Is it the draught
thai you fear, or the contrast of tenn
perlture? Blacksmiths and railroad
conductors seem to thrive under such
Influences. Draught? Have you never
seen boys skating in the teeth of a snow
sto'm at the rate of fifteen miles an
hour? "They counteract the effect of
the cold air by vigorous exercise" Is
there no other way of keeping warm
Does the north wind damage the fine
lady sitting motionless in her sleigh, or
the pilot and helmsman of a storm
tossed vessel? 1t cannot be the inclem-
ency of the golden air, for, even in
sweltering summer nights, the sweet
south wind, blessed by all creatures that
draw the breath of life, brings no relief
to the victim of acrophobia. There is
no doubt that families who have freed
themselves from the curse of that su
perstition can live out and out healthier
in the heart of great city than its
slaves on the ARREST highland of the
southern Apennines.
In tolerable location, the air of a
three-room cottage can be kept pure
enough without force ventilators or any
other expensive continuance. Open
your windows; III very cold weather,
air the bedrooms in daytime and the
others ct night; In larger houses, the
kitchen, parlor, and dining-room should
be thoroughly ventilated every night,
also in daytime at convenient intervals,
during the temporary absence of the
occupants. To save foul air for the
sake of it's warmth is poor economy;
experiments would show that the differ
ence in fuel amounts only to trltie,
anyhow. Ten or twelve pounds Of
coal day ought not to weigh against
the direct gain in comfort and the pros
pective, unspeakable gain in health.
Breathing the same air over and over
again means to feed the organism on
the excretions of our own lungs on Dir
surcharged with noxious gases AID
almost depleted OF the DEMONSTRATING
principle. Azotized air affects the
lungs as the substitution of excrements
for nourishing food would affect our
digestive organs; corruption sets in;
pulmonary phthisis is, in fact, q process
of Rutrefaction.
No ventilatory contrivance can com
pare with the simple plan of opening
window; in wet nights "rain-shutter'
Ia blind with large, overlapping bars)
will keep room both airy and dry
In every bedroom one of the upper
windows should be kept open night and
day, except in storms. accompanied
with rain or with degree OF cold ex'
ceeding 10 deg. Fahrenheit. In warm
summer nights open every window in
the house and every door connecting
the bedroom with the adjoining apart.
ments. Create q thorough drsught
Before.we can hope to fight consump tiOr
with any chance of success, we have te
get rid of the night air superstition
Like the dread of cold water, raw fruit
etc., it is founded on that mistrust oil
our instincts which we owe to our anti
natural religion. 1t is probably the
most prolific single cause of impaired
health, even among the civilized nations
of our enlightened age, though its
absurdity rivals the grossest delusionl
of the witchtraft era. The subsection
of holy reason to hearsay could hardl,
60 further.
NEARLY KILLED By FLOwERs.-Twl
aristocratic beauties of the Spanish
Colony in Paris, the Countess Multedt
and Senorita Penedo. had mario "
escape Of being snff icated by natura
n Al - l,o. la kesr