Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-08

Sunlight and Water to Health and DIS
ease"
The following are synopses of DR..
Hewitt's second and third lecture in the
farmers lecture course at the state uni
versity, and will be read with interest and
profit.
AIR, SUNLIGHT AND WATER.
Air is the most essential of all the natu-
raj facts relating to health. Man can live
a considerable ime without food or SIM
light, but not without air. We live at the
bottom of great ocean of air; there is
air above US, within us and below US, in the
soil as much as above the soil, and every
house has an atmosphere of its
own, determined by the life and character
of the people who inhabit it. But air is
not merely for respiration, it is a means
for regulating our temperature. It is
necessary for the proper distribution of
sunlight and stands in close relation to
our water supply. The changes in the air
are affected not only by respiration, but
by perspiration, by cooking and every
thing that is going on in our life. Air is
food, and one of the most essential of all
water and diet as food, and forget entirely
that in bulk and in weight the air is in ex-
cess of all other foods Speaking of the
ventilation of our houses, DR.. Hewitt
said that no system of artificial
ventilation could be made that would
be equal to the movement of the
open air. The recognized standard of san
itarians is that all persons should be sup
piled with 5000 cubic feet of fresh air
every hour. A slight excess of carbonic
acid is not poisonous; it is only so when it
exists in such excess that it expels the
normal amount of oxygen from the air.
It is found that when there is more than
nine parts of carbonic acid in 10000 parts
of air in an inhabited room, an offensive
odor is noticed, and there is something in
the air besides the carbonic acid some or
ganic matter. It is the organic matter
which is discovered by the excess of car
bonic acid. But there are few houses
whose ventilation is not sufficient for ordi-
nary purposes. 1t is only where there is
an unusual amount of untidiness in house
keeping, where cellars are made filthy by
the accumulation of decaying vegetables
and rancid fruit, ETC., that an increase of
ventilation over what ordinarily occurs
in winter is necessary. It is a fact (5aid
hey that the air goes through the walls OF
average buildings. The air is full of Or
ganic impurities from the lungs, animal
tissue of different sorts, flores of wool, cot
ton and linen from the clothing, carpets,
etc. In the outside air this is rapidly dis
posed by the rapid diffusion of the warm
air coming out of the house on the prin-
ciple of the diffusion of gases. The air is
purified also by rain and snow. Vege-
tables also take up carbonic acid
These are the chemical relations of the
atmosphere to US, but the vital relations
are the most important. The lecturer then
spoke of the relation OF water to health
Water freezes at a certain emperature and
evaporates at all temperatures; ice itself
will eyaporate, though slowly. This brings
everything into very immediate relations
with water. In perfectly dry atmosphere
we should all be mummies in a very short
time. 1t is the small amount of water
which the air constantly carries which rem
ders its use practicable for US, and posi-
BILE. Soft water is better than hard, be-
cause 1t is Furer. Most animals prefer
cool spring water to any other. There
is no such thing as pure water in
AdbGlCs AACtANA NdtOI COnbdlliS Ol6luGuLS ASC-
essary to the growth of the body. Hard
water ought to be given to children. Min
eral matter is necessary for a great many
chemical processes going on in the body
and hard water furnishes these elements,
and when it comes from a deep, pure well
it is probably the best that can be given.
Cistern water must contain great many
impurities washed of the roof, and the
best system of filtration still leaves
large amount of organic matter in solution
in the water.
AIT and water are vehicles for the trans
mission of disease, especially infectious
ones. Typhoid fever probably is very often |
spread by the use of water infected with
the excreta of such patients. Some diseases
will travel considerable distances. but ii is |
found that after all air is the most perfect !
disinfectant which we have. People often
burn sugar as a smudge. 1t simply sub |
stitutes one smell for another. There is |
no disinfection about it. The truest disin- !
lection where it is available is thorough |
ventilation, but it usually takes too long. |
The best thing to fumigate a room with |
quickly is burning sulphur. Shut up all |
the windows tightly, hang the blankets and
bedding upon lines, set tub in the mid |
die of the room with two or three inches of
water, two or three bricks in the water, an
iron skillet on the bricks, some Goals IN the |
skillet and some sulphur on the Goals. |
Let 1t be few hours, or until the fumiga- |
ton is complete. Sulphur, however, is a
strong decolorizing agent. In diphtheria |
sulphite of soda furnishes capital disin- |
fectant. In all eruptiye feyers a simple |
treatment is to oil the body with cosmo- |
line or some other oil, which is very agree /
able to the patient and preventing the
spread of the disease. IL cases of infec-
tious diseases, the thing of greatest impor-
lance is seclusion of the sick. DR.. Hewitt |
spoke at some length on the subject of
vaccination, urging it very seriously, and |
stating that in his opinion humanized Vi
rus is to be preferred to bovine, although |
the latter is more easily procured in GUAM
ties in case of emergency.
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