The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-26
MEXICAN 2REJUDICES.
DREAD OF FRESH AIR CARRIED TO
A LUDlcROUs EXTENT.
Dwellings That Are Damp, Ill Smelling
and P.s,iferous--A Curious Dislike Of
Cold Water-Chiidlsh Fear Of Disease.
Indian Contempt for the Whites.

Cold water-Chiidlsh Fear Of Disease.
Indian Contempt for the Whites.
Most cities have some reason to show
for their location. Boston sits by her
broad bay, Chicago by the lakeside. New
Orleans in the bend of her imperial river,
Guanaiuato and Zacatecas 10y the side Of
their rich mines, but there is no sound or
sensible reason for the location Of the
CITY Of Mexico in low and swampy
tract, when right at hand were building
sights Of Incompatible view, Of perfect
sanitary conditions and certain 10 afford
space for the anplest possible expansion Of
the town. Temporarily nothing is being
done, on any comprehensive scale, FOR the
advancement Of the plan for draining The
valley Of Mexico. and incidentally the
city A company Of Ohio origin is dig
ging canal under contract with the city
government, and IL gets its pay regularly,
rs tho rulers Of the city are good paymas.
ters and honorable Ia all their dealings.
But the big plan seems TO have been
let drop for while for some reason not
apparent.
Meantime the death rate is extraordh-
airy, and what should be one Of the most
healthy cities on the globe, standing as it
does at more than 1900 feet above the
sea level, is one Of the most unhealthy.
Tho ravages Of what may be termed dis
eases engendered by dirt and dampness
are something frightful-typhus fever
mot the mHder typhoid, smallpox, which
is always existent somewhere, consump-
tion, dyseutery, etc. carry of thousands
every year. The lot of the poorer classes,
and OF those between poverty and COM
Portable circumstances is "a hard one.
Their dwellings are damp, musty III
smelling pestiferous. 1t is among these
classes that the death rate is very high,
but among the well TO do people who live
on what is here called the primer piso,
or first floor, or, in New England the
second story, the mortality is not greater
than in Boston. The popularity Of the
climate is that its lack of oxygen renders
recovery from sickness very difficult
Once LET yourself run down. and IL is hard
getting up again. The lauguor Of the
climate, the lack Of life in the air, conspire
TO keep the invalid weak, and il is the
rule of the doctors TO send patients out Of
the city as soon as it is possible toremove
them.
BEDROOMS SEALED AT NIGHT
Out on the hilsdes the country people
are robust and rarely ill., unless they hap
pen to be of that class who try to keep
bedrooms Theoretically sealed at night
This prejudice against the night air is
very great and widespread. | suppose
that eight -tenths Of the inhabitants Of
this city shut up their bedrooms as tight
as a drum every night of their lives. Thus
they breathe their own cfiiuvia, and pine
away 20 the profit Of the doctors and the
drug shops This fact accounts for the
many notified and sallow compilations one
sees. People who have Travelled. or those
who arc OF receptive minds and have
studied the matter. let the night air cir
culate i'm their apartments. Their good
blood and clear compilations testify 10
their obedience TO hygienic laws.
Tho dread of the fresh air is often car
ried to q ludicrous extent. People sit for
three hours in dirty, stuffy theatre and
breathe the air Of the sewers underneath
tho floors. inhale all the human exhala-
tions which contaminatc the unagitated
air. and then, on going out into the com
parativoly pure air of the street keep
bandkerchiefs to their mouths and noses.
This morning ! noticed a sallow woman
riding on the paseo in her coupe lap
dog on her knee. The glass windows Of
the vehicle were tightly shut, so that
none Of the glorious air of the morning in
that favored spot should by chance enter
her whitening lungs This was the old
monSish idea; IN the converts the piOus
brethren preferred close cells aad musty
tones They dreaded water, and soap
was unknown &c them.
4 curious prejudice exists among many
people here against cold water when they
have a "catarro' or cold in the head, or
even q touch Of chill in the bones. For
weeks. till tho cold has gone, they reso-
lutely refrain from touching water. An
other popular prejudice he"e Is that
which impels Il family 10 move out Of a
house when any member Of it has died
For this reason it is neodful to be eau
tious in taking house or apartments till
YOU have made certain that no one has
recently died therein Of contagious dis
case So far does this prejudice 20 that
many people abandon their old homes on
,he death of member Of the family.
CHILDISH FEAR or DISEASE.
Il does not seem TO be SO much q super
stiti0u rs q childish fear OF disease. Ana
yet these same people who would not con.
sent 10 remain in house thoroughly and
scientifically dismfected, with new wall
paper and new paint, will move TO house
with staguant ditch near at hand, and
will shut themselves up IN their bedrooms
al night like herring in a box. The old
houses mere show in their construction
the dread of air and sunshine With little
narrow windows. brick floors and tight
doors, they were certain 10 become musty
IN six months occupancy. The ancient
converts had windows Of the size Of prison
windows. Churches We're built so that
never by any chance could breath of air
get in to disturb the worshipers AL
this Che white man did. But the Indian,
living mainly III the open air of the
hirh sierras, IS different sort Of creature,
Il man who can make sixty miles or more
81 dav He IS who eats with an appetite
his frugal meal. and has the good sense
10 beat his idols when they do not grant
his requests Immediately These are the
mon and women with broad chests and a
color that shows red blood and good circu
lafion. They have missed the rehnements
g al, al .t+ =, r,ca hint hova rree eryed heir