Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-17
FEATHER BEDS.
An Cnmitigated Evil In the Hands OF the
Average Housekeeper.

-ae IS
An C~nmitigated Evil In tho Hands OF the
Average Housekeeper.
The feather bed appears to be getting
a much needed airing, which, moves mo
to give my way. Hong since discarded
both feather bed and mattress, and sup
Piled their place with a steel woven
wire mattress, which serves also as
springs. There are appliances to tight
en- them, should they sag, but mine,
though in use several years, has needed
no attention. They are at once clearly
and comfortable. In summer / spread
on a couple of thick comfortcrs, then
the sheets and coverlet, and the bed is
made. In winter the cold strikes
through too much, so a straw bed is
put on, with a comforter over it.
Through the day the comforter can be
hung in the porch to air for an hour or
SO. A while before bedtime it is hung
near the fire to warm with pillows and
a foot blanket, which is two thickncsses
of flannel, and which is placed double
in the foot of the bed, to be drawn up
to keep the feet and ankles comforta-
bic, as no fire is kept in the sleeping
apartment. I have tried this plan sew
eral years, and never was more FREQ
from colds.
People can scarcely hope to be ex-
empt from colds and sore throat if they
remove their arm clothing and retire
to a cold bed, and expect the heat of
The head to warm up several pounds of
feather pillow. Many take q warm
brick or soapstone to bed, but their
body has received a chill before the
brick has time to act, and cold is often
the result. Others expect the heat Of q
feather bed to warm them up, taking
into their bodies the offensive natter
which has previously been ABSORBED by
the feathers. 1t is doubtful if the feath-
ers get thoroughly aired through o tick
ing so thick and fine as not to shed
feathers, being in itself all but air-tight.
Nearly every one can look about him
and note plenty of homes containing
feather beds, many of them heirlooms
of our grandmothers, which have. not
been renovated for years, with the ex-
ception Of the renewing Of the ticking,
or the washing of the old one. They
will tell you that their ancestors slept
on feathers, and that they were also
strong and healthy. Possibly i5 is not
so much the use as the abuse offeathers
| that is harmful. l once knew . woman
whose bedding rarely saw the sunlight.
Occasionally n window would be
opened the space of a few inches, but
eve this slight %precaution was often
neglected for months at a time, and
nothing ever made this woman happier
than to tell her Of some new patent
medicine. In her search for health she
became Il victim to nearly every quack
nostrum in the market, at the same
time neglecting those things which were
most important TO health. On asking
a friends advice as to the use of DR.. So
and-so's blood purifier, she had the to-
merity to advise her that the putrid old
feather-bed be discarded forever, the
windows opened wide to let in the
fresh air and sunlight. and each week
or ten days the quilts and comforters
hung out on the line, to swing in the
breeze for an houI OF two Zone trying
this for the first SS.me will Ge surprised
at how sweet and fresh they smell
when brought in, especially in winter. J
Bathing should be regular. A hand
bath can be taken with impunity by
almost any ono. A warm foot-bath
lasting twenty minutes or half an hour
(never longer), often refreshes the
weary, tired limbs, especially il one
must be on their feet much. II the
head feels badly, brushing the hair gen.
tly for ten minutes, then with the tips
Of the fingers applying a small tea
spoonful Of sweet cream to the scalp,
rubbing it well in, imparts y delight
fully cool, pleasant sensation TO it. Sun
light, exercise, fresh, pure air and per-
feet cleanliness are more beneficial I'd
health than any drug can be.
But we are all aware how bracing the
idea OF paving a dollar IL bottle and
heroicallY spooning down some nasty
compound is 10 the average American.
AS to the feather beds, there are, doubt
less, many i.ousekcepers to be found
who are sufficiently painstaking to III
sure the purity of their beds, but in the
hands of the masses they meet with too
much neglect in this work-a-day world
of ours to be anything but I'm un-
mitigated evil. Sleeping on feathers is
simply habit. We do 50 because our
parents did before us. Better far if all
the old feather beds in existence were
made a national bonfire of than handed
down as l,eritages of disease to future
generations.
DIR. Pierce, in his Common Sense
Medical Adviser, quotes DR.. Flint, a
celebrated medical author, rs saying
that some feather beds give off al odor
that eXcites in him all the aggravated
symptoms Of hay fever. He can not
tell. before occupying it, whether tho
feathers in a strange bed will be poison
to him or not; but if they are, lie
will be seized, soon after retiring. with
laborcd breathing, cough, wheeling and
sneezing, until Obliged to get up, when
the difficulty will pass of in Il few