The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-11-06
ABOUT BREATHING.
THE SYSTEM WHICH HAS BEEN
TAUGHT BY NATURE HERSELF.

less Ways of Sitting and Standing.
Deep Brcathins-Exercisesw which Are
Very Beneficial.
IL is n curious fact that, although breath
ing is a very simple and necessary accom-
plishment, there are great many people
who have forgotten how TO do it in the best
way. IL you viii watch a perfectly healthy
baby when it is asleep you VIII see that its
shoulders are quite low and even, that its
mouth is usually closed and that it is breath
ing comfortably from its lower chest. We
know that the lungs are the chief purifiers of
the blood, but to perform their duty salts
factorily the air cells of the lungs must be
filed with filtered air and they must have
plenty of room in which to work, so we are
the whole, well satisfied with the baby's
method of breathing. In fact, we have reason
to believe that the system has been taught
by nature herself, and when we can get
natures methods at first hand it is seldom
worth while to try to improve upon them
very much.
But when the baby grows up, if it chance
to be q girl, her clothing is usually such that
it interferes with the free action of muscles
that are concerned in enlarging the cavity of
the chest, 50 that the lower part OF the lungs,
which should be busy taking in their share
of oxygen 10 make the blood fresh and bright,
are seldom used, and the blood goes away
from the lungs only partly freed from its
impurities, while the lungs themselves do not
get exercise enough for their own good.
NOT THE ONLY OBSTACLE
But tight dressing, though the most serious
hindrance to the habit of good breathing is
not the only obstacle. There are careless
ways of sitting and standing that draw the
shoulders forward and cramp the chest, and
it is as hard for the lungs to do good work
when the chest is narrow and CONSTRUCTED as
it is for a closely bandaged hand to set a copy
of clear, graceful penmanship Then there
are lazy ways OF breathing and one-sided
ways of breathing, and the particularly bad
habit of breathing through the mouth. Now
the nose was meant to breathe through, and
it is marvelOusiy arranged fo- filtering the
impurities out of the az and for changing il
10 n suitable temperature for entering the
lungs. The mouth has no such apparatus,
and when the air Is swallowed through the
mouth instead of breathcd through the nose
it has an injurious effect upon the lungs. A
story is told of an Indian who had personal
encounter with n white man much his supe-
rior i'll size and strength. and who was asked
afterward ii hc was not afraid. Me never
afraid Of man who keeps mouth open," was
the Immediate reply. Indeed, breathing
through the mouth gives foolish and weak
expression To the face, rs you may see by
watching any one sleep with the mouth open.
1t is well to establish the habit of deep
breathing, if it does not already exist; but, i'll
addition to this, the reserve air which is left
in the lungs after an ordinary expiration
should be expelled and the lungs thoroughly
ventilated at least twice every day. First
then, see TO it that the air in the room is as
pure and fresh rs out-0f-doOr air can make it,
Then, with all tight and superfluous clothing
removed, lie fiat on the back and, with the
mouth firmly closed, take full, deep breath
Hold it eight or ten seconds, and then let it
out. Take another, and yet another breath
in the same way.
REPEAT THIS EXERCISE.
After that take n breath into the lungs as
slowly as possible, beginning to till them at
their lowest extremities, and inhaling gradu-
ally until they filled to their full capacity,
when the air should be exhaled i'll the same
slow and steady manner in which it was taken
in Repeat this exercise three or four times
Now watch and see if the shoulders are kept
drawn down and iminovable while the air is
inhaled they should be, or if they are
drawn up, and are thus robbing the dia-
phragm and muscles of forced breathing of
half their exercise.
When you have taken this movement again
to make sure that the shoulders are in good
position, throw your arms vertically over
your head and take another quick, full in
spiration, swinging the arms rapidly to the
sides close 10 the body and back again over
the head. Swing the arms up and down four
times on the same breath and repeat the exer-
else three or four times
After this it is a good plan to stand erect
with the arms horizontal at the sides and
vigorously clap the hands from that position
over the head a few times When taking
such movements in an erect position always
keep the chin two or three inches back of
the vertical.
\ few such exercises as these, for five or
ten minutes ut night and morning, Will pro
mote refreshing sleep and give increased
vitality for duties and occupations of the day,
and it may be noted i'll conclusion that an
anceIlic or low condition of the blood is sell
dom found where there is an established
habit Of full, deep breathing with the mouth
closed Helen Clark Sway in St. Nicholas.
The Hotels of Europe.
THE hotels over there are poor III compari-