The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1888-03-16
OXYGEN STARVATION.
hAai Ats TO Be Considered In the Choice of a
Dwelling House.


hAai aas to Be Considered In the Choice of n
Dwelling House.
If we are asked which of the many
necessaries of life is best entitled to the
chief place we must surely reply, oxy-
gen. This gas forms about one-fifth
of the bulk of the atmosphere, and our
wants are supplied by the act of breath
ing. so regularly and eeaselessly per-
formed by every one. It is possible to
live for long time without the pro-
lection of house or of clothing; it is
even possible to live for many days
without food; but if we are deprived
for only one or two minutes of oxygen,
the consequences are serious, and may
be fatal. This is perhaps one reason
why, of all things that our bodies re-
quire, oxygen is the only one the regu-
lar supply of which does not depend
upon our own attention. The pangs of
hunger and thirst warn us when food
and drink are necessary, but they can
only be satisfied by our putting forth
conscious effort. A man may be hun
CRY, but if he is too lazy to seek out
food and raise it to his mouth he will
starve. But it not so with oxygen. We
have power, it is true. temporarily to
stop our breathing or to increase its
rapidity by an act of will; but even when
we forget all about it the breathing con-
tinues- This is one of the many mys-
teries of our being always before us,
but seldom thought of, and yet it is very
striking. This frequent and impor-
tant act of our daily life has not been
entrusted to our care, but has been so
arranged for that it is performed every
three or four seconds from the moment
of birth until death, without requiring
one thought from us The breathing
apparatus never sleeps. Again, ozy-
gen is so closely connected with
the great vital processes upon
which our growth and daily
energy depend, that food itself is use
less unless accompanied by a large sup
ply of it. Indeed, when the quantity
of oxygen which Il man consumes in
his lungs daily is calculated, it is found
to be greater in weight than all the dry
| food he requires during the same pc
/ riOd. Yet again, if we wish a house
and clothing and food, we must work
for them, but for oxygen there is moth
ing to pay. 1t is free to all, and lies
around us in such abundance that it
never runs short Here, then, we see
every means taken to insure that all
our demands for oxygen shall be freely
and fully met, and yet we are assured
! bymedical authorities that very large
prOportiOn-sOme say One-fOurth-of
all the deaths that take place is caused,
directly or indirectly, by oxygen starry
alton. Now, what unfortunate circum-
stances prevent so many persons hav-
ing a sufficiency of this all-impOrtant
gas? The chief one undoubtedly is
congregating in towns. Instead of liv-
ing in the country, where every house
hold might have a large free space of
air around it, we draw together, for
the convenience of business, to great
centers There the houses are crowded
| closely together, often piled one on the
top of the other, so that, instead of an
overabundance, there is only limited
quantity of air for each. This is made
unfit for the support of life by the
very act of breathing; the impurities
are increased by the waste prod
ucts of manufactures; and Oxy-
gen is destroyed by every fire
and lamp and gas light. The winds
and certain properties of the atmos-
phere constantly remove much of the
impure air and bring in a pure sup
ply; but the crowding togetherin many
parts of a town is 50 great, and the
production of poisonous matter goes on
so continuously, that instead of each
breath containing its full proportion of
oxygen, the place of that gas is taken
up to some extent by what is actually
hurtful to life. When this is the condition
of the atmosphere outside the dwelling,
it is necessarily much worse within it, for
there the displacement of impure air
by pure can not take place so rapidly
The consequences are as already stated
Large parts of our town populations
never have, sufficient oxygen; their
lives are feeble and full of suffering
and numbers die before their time.
Such facts are painful to contemplate,
but a knowledge of them puts the wise
man on his guard, and he may do
much for himself In the choice of a
house he will remember the advan-
tages Of a great air space around it,
and of plenty of space within it, SO
that bedrooms may not be over
crowded. Or, if a large house is be-
yond his means, he will take care that
the rooms are not crowded with furni-
ture, for every piece of furniture ex-
cludes an equal bulk of air. When he
enters the house he will see that at all
times as much fresh air from the out
side is admitted, by means of open
doors and windows, as can be allowed
without inconvenience from cold; and
as often as possible he will have blow
through, to clear out all odd corners
where foul air may linger. Pure air
and good food make pure blood, and
only pure blood will give good health.
Chambers Journal
AT POMPEH'S GATES.