, 1882-06-09
Dust.

1t is a happy thought to me when
thinking of Heaven that there shall
be no dust there.
Dust is one of the great trials of
the housewife. In spite of all care it
will accumulate, and day or two
after the most careful sweeping and
dusting of every part of the house,
the same process must be repeated.
Dustl Dust. wherever the eye turns,
although it was all removed so care
fully yesterday, here it is again this
morning on my desk, my table, my
books, my inkstand. every article, a
daily reminder of death and decay
What is dust?
My furniture is old, my carpet once
fresh and new is now worn and
threadbare. Every thing here grows
old, decays and wears out. Hence
dust Even of ourselves it is written
Dust thou art and unto dust shalt
thou return"
But this is not all that causes dust.
Prof. Steele says: "Much of the fine
dust that is revealed to us in the at
mosphere, by beam of light shining
through a crevice, consists of the
seeds of minute plants, which falling
on damp surface grow into mildew
or mold; under a microscope this
becomes fairy forest of trees of a
new and strange growth"
Prof. Youmnas speaking Of dust
and impurities in the air says: "The
floating dust in the air revealed to us
by the sunbeam shining through a
crack in the blinds, shows the abun-
dance of these impurities, and also the
presence of germs which, lodging in
the lungs, may implant disease unless
thrown off by a vigorous constitution.
On uncovering a scarlet fever patient,
a cloud of fine dust is seen to rise
from the body-contagious dust, that
for days will retain its poisonous
properties"
just what is the exact nature Of the
dust that we perceive around us, we
can never be quite sure
1t may be fine grains of sand or
decaying particles of vegetables or
animal matter, or it may be germs of
animal or vegetable growth that un-
der favorable circumstances would
assume living and perhaps a dan
gerous form. The seeds Of diphthe-
ria, scarlet fever, and many other
fearful diseases may all be conveyed
to us in the form of dust dust which
is perhaps so fine as to be scarcely
perceptible. Heat and moisture de-
velop these little spores to life and
disease results. What then? shall
we close our doors and windows that
this dust and danger may be effectu-
ally excluded? BY no means.
In foul, i'll ventilated rooms these
poisonous germs are surest to develop
and prove fatal. The best safeguard
is in keeping our rooms thoroughly
aired and busted, in short thoroughly
clean.
Keeping the mouth shut is also a
safeguard, for these spores are most
apt to germinate in the warm moist
region of the throat and bronchial
tubes, giving rise to diphtheria, which
is a sort of fungus growth, and to
various other diseases. In riding or
walking this precaution should espe-
cially be observed, particularly when
passing through dusty or dirty part
of a city or town. In the open coun-
try there is less danger of these dis
eases perhaps, but here hay fever
may be contracted by inhaling dust
and in any case veil can do no harm
for woman. Man is in some meas
ure protected by his beard if worn
around the mouth and nostrils.
A kind Providence has provided
protection for us from disease in a
way, for which, through our igno-
rance or want of thought we are not
sufficiently grateful.
Inside the nostrils are minute ella,
or hairs, which are endowed with
such sensitiveness to dust that they
are IN perpetual motion, similar to
the waving Of a field of grain.
This tends to fan away all impuri-
ties and dust and prevent their pass
ing through the nasal cavity to the
delicate aircells OF the lungs.
The moist mucous surface of the
lining of the nostrils, also serves to
arrest the dust and prevent its going
further.
That troublesome disease hay fever,
or rose-cold, is no doubt caused by
minute particles of vegetable matter.
dust of hay for instance, becoming
lodged in the throat or bronchial
tubes, causing that irritation or tick
ling which produces a distressing
cough.
Let us then patiently pursue the
] good work of busting, carefully