Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-03-15
SLEEPING wiz OPEN WINDoWs,
the editor of the Alexandria Gazette:

Man is placed at the hsad Of the animal
kingdom Anh ahy he does not enjoy the
same immunity from! disease that character
ICES the inferi..r animals, is. in all probabii-
ty, attrihulab. - hi~ absence Of consistency
in regard to strict observance Of those
habits which are indicated by his true re.
lation To other material and mmaterial
matter Of the laws of creation. Mans
Mans body Is Il structure Of the most per.
feet mechanism, and when subjected to pre-.
cision in the observance Of the laws direct.
ing and controlling healthy movement OF
its perfect machinery, will last long time,
and endure much fatigue, and perform great
labor This is manifested in the long lives
Of the many men, who, by careful regard
for their physical nesiln, are enabled to
enjoy their lbrer score aud ten years with
out the pain and disorder incidental 10 au
imprudent life and careless mode of living.
THE SUM OF HEALTH.
The laws OF nature are the laws of health,
and he who most closely observes such laws
will have the greatest promise Of long life
formuucc Of the functions Of the organs of
his body. Macy think they can control or
direct nature as the wbim Of their misguid-
ed notions or passions may dictate, but it is
not long before this is found 10 he i, serious
mistake. Tho violated laws Gf nature and
Of health .oon send pain and disease as the
penalty to mark and name the acts Of in
10 the iniunctions Of the man-
r , h, i,,l i,.,t hor
tnorious working Of the various organs Of
the body and the word suicide might be
painted OF the lid OF the coffin
the body Of the victim of disease
and death, whose suffering aud premature
end could be directly traceable to ilagrant
acts Of rash imprudence in reference TO an
OF servance Of those dictates OF nature rela-
tive to the maintenance Of y healthy condi-
ton of the body. Therefore there are other
suicides than those who take their lives by
violence.
SLEEPING; IN THE NIGHT AIR.
Man has his bed, and the beast has its lair;
and it is an instructive law Of the nature of
the beast, that when it goes TO sleep and the
t.nosphcre is Of Il temperature much below
tha. OF its body, TO secret and secludc itself
as lnucli as its surroundings permit, from
the henumbng influence of such cold air !;
and if to sleep in the night air were not in
furious 10 animal economy. the beast would
not bs instinctivey led TO avoid ii for when
beasts sleep in The cold air, they always
place their uostri.; Near their sides in order
to breath he a!:' ,rmperv,; by the warmth
of their bodies and even tir's whose lives
are sl"rj in the air, usually sleep with their
bi.ls beneath their wings, or hidden among
TIE ;,:i;i:ers Il ln,i; breast From !hcst
obstr>aiiuns Of tbs !uo,;o u SlcrIing Of he
inferior animals. We learn tho relation OF
sleep q The might air and ascertain The
great efforts whic;l such animals make to
protect their hndica and lungs against its
influence but it has been reserved
to superior and Intelligent man, TO rise above
the teachings of instinct, aud like the con-
caited German prince, who, strutting abroad
one morn, exclaimed That If he had been
present en- the morning cf creation, he could
have made things better. An individual
is never known to suffer from sickness or
disease, caused by sleeping in room from
which night air is excluded but certainly
many have been known, beyond peradven.
ture, to contract sickness and disease, from
which they have even died, from sleeping
in rooms to which the night air was freely
admitted.
THE EXPLAEATiON
The ventilation of bedroom in the morn
ing, while it is being put in order, is very
proper, but sleeping in it during the night,
with the ri: from without pouring into it, is
both improper unG undoubtedly perious 10
health. 1t is not only the lowered tempera-
ture of the night air, that is SO seriously OBJ
loot hla but it is tho hran hipp rhi1p
asleep. of the gaseous poisonous properties
which the night air always contains in a
more condensed and active form; and it is
for this reason that night air is instinctively
cnl to health
J. B. JOHNSON, NJ. D.