The Wilmingtonian. (Wilmington, Del.) 1882-188?, 1884-07-05
HEALTH HINTS.


'OR lHE NIIMlNdIuNlAN.
American women are among the NEST
Prominent illustrations ola bad theory bear
ng bad fruit in practice. Nineteen out of
,wenty will insist that the windows and
blinds must be kept shut hard and fast dur
ing the summer months, to keep out the flies
and preserve the rooms cool and comfortable
for occupation in the evening. AS natural
result the physician is constantly being con
suited during this same summer season by
lady patients who complain of unaccountable
headaches, want of sleep,nervous affections,
debility ana poor appetite-the whole of
which are due chiefly, if not entirely, to the
want of light and fresh air. There is no
room for mistake about the matter. Every
one must have noticed how women cling TO
their closed shutters and darkened rooms
though it is as plain as anything in this
world can be that they are simply blanched
and debiltated by deprivation Of light and
air.
1t is not mere temporary indiSpostion
that is produced by this foolish practice.
Sooner or later organic disease will follow.
Sir James Wilde, for many years physician
to the Emperors Alexander and Nicholas of
Russia, remarked that in certain barlaclS
at St. Petersburg the mortality on the dark
side-that from which the sunlight was
always excluded-was four times greater
than on the side on which the sun shone, and
penetrated in to the windows and doors of the
apartments and this Notwithstanding that
equal attention was paid to ventilation ON
the two sides of the institution.
Dr. Elisha Kent Kane in his Arctic explo-
rations noticed the same influence of dark
hess in causing disease;and most of his dogs
''although the greater pant of them were
natives of the Arctic circle, died of an ano-
malous form ofdscase, to which, ''he believed
''the absence Of light contributed as much as
the extreme cold" In his log book under
date January % he wrote. 81 long for the
day. The anomalous host of evils which
hang about this vcgctating in the darkness
are showing themselves in all their FORMS
Pains in the joints, rheumatism, loss of
appetite and general debility, extend over
the whole company We are a CHASTITY set Of
pale faces, and none palcr than MYSELF
The pallor of IT, prisoners in penitentiatics
has been very generally noticed, notwith-
standing that their diet is often better than
that of the struggling laborer or the hired
hand of the farm. But these have the light
around them while the prisoner sees but lit
tie of the direct rays of the sun.
The body is the seat of monetary and
incessant chemical changes, which are most
ootive i'm xyok intr nvisiouoo mn, IN +l,a ,,o,,
feet production Of which light is essential.
Lo.k at the wondrous evidence adduced by
the chemist on this point. He shows us
quite plainly that light is the principal if not
the sole agent in the production Of ozone
the very essence of the atmosphere-in dye
ingand bleaching; decomposition and recomp-
0sition. All foul unhealthy things are bred
in dark places. They abhor the light: it is
fatal to them. In fine the darkness is fatal
to the beauty and color Of tue creatures OF
the light
The writer Of this article has in his cellar
potato plant springing from solitary
potato carried by the rats into a hole and
subsequently covered with earth by accident.
This potato plant has grown up under its
singular conditions in manner to demon
strate Enthusiastically the existence and
EioM''i u WOMEN Mo i''e ~ '"o Seaf y
"''ihoiou loo'nS' "eio NY :" u ~ io"'eS
~ thlS wellu looN'hg pant anu what tnere
nie'ao 'i-ioiiie'' ali'i u u.'li "ii''is color'
" corner = oio u VIC u"'NesV - 'i'e cciiai
IT. y a'S"ssu tfuih "aoS 70 'le ooscori'y q
the spot. The stalks of the plant are per
lial,S score ~ hulilooi aii' ie"cli ouV lo''iiu
poth eii''S q the poA anu oyer W top 70
Instance q m lect OF more IN every c'se
t''eir sloN vi y 'o"f'"Sws stSo' '"S' ~ oiie
Polht where one OF Two Oh tho leaves catch
lew rays OIL Une llSllb sun, IL BreenlSn llllV IL
,,prppntiblp m them Coull we ask for a