The record-union., 1896-10-11

There is also good reason for believing
that these living poisons provide their
own antidotes, for it Is found that In
places where they have lived a new
material has been developed (probably
a waste product excreted by the bac-
teria themselves) which is inimical to
their continued existence. 1t seldom
happens that the human fortress Is car
ried by assault at the first onset; al
though in some cases of cholera, pneu-
monia, and in fact nearly all kinds OF
disease caused by micro-organ1sms,
such a rapid and fatal termination. OF
an attack may take place within a
very short time of the first invasion
Now, in the very air of this thickly
populated country it has been abun-
dantly demonstrated that living or
ganisms and disease germs literally
swarm. Not only are they set af1oat In
countless myriadS from their breeding
places generally some living fellow
creature), but the humidity and tenn
perature of our atmosphere serve TO
maintain them for some time In a.
lively condition and possibly to enable
them to increase. 1t is plain that II
we can lessen or abolish the influx or
reinforcements the loyal phalanx OF
phagocytes will have a much better
chance of conquering and expelling the
foe. One way of bringing this about is
the removal of the patient to a climate
where the physical wear and tear are
somewhat lessened, and where the at
moSphere is not only normally free
from disease germs, but is inimical to
their existence outside the body. All
this is fairly comprehensive; but it is
evidently not the whole story. There
are contiguous regions in South Africa
where the air is equally pure, accord
ing to physical tests, and yet one proves
| favorable to consumptive patients and
the other rather the reverse.
A VIRTUE IN MERE CHANGE.
This brings US back to the evident
| fact that there is peculiar virtue in
| mere change. 1t seems to give a flip
to the whole system, and especially to
Increase the recuperative power. The
persistent languor and debility follow
ing an exhausting illness, such as an
attack of influenza or whooping cough,
Will often disappear like magic under
the influence of change of abode. Nor
is it essential that the patient should
so to the seaside, or to some spot of
acknowledged salubrity Often the
! mere removal from one part Of a town
to another will result in an immediate
and manifest improvement. l know Of
| an instance in which a gentleman, a
| sufferer from asthma and bronchitis,
whose home was in healthy part Of
| Surrey, obtained very great relief by a
short residence among the slums of
Seven Dials. Children seem especially
| benefited by a change Of air; so much
| SO that it is often found advisable to
| remove them even during severe ILL
| ness. In two cases which occur to me
in which such course was adopted,
! the little patients had been given up by
their medical attendant because they
had reached that fatal stage of exhaus-
ton so dreaded by the physician, when
all rallying power has ebbed away and
| there is no more response to remedial
measures. Although it seemed doubt
tul in both cases whether the children
would even survive the journey, an in
stant Improvement took place as soon
as the removal was accomplished, and
in each case complete recovery fol-
lowed. Both of these children came
from homes where every comfort was
provided, and from neighborhoods con-
sjdered healthy.
/ have little doubt that the marvel
Gus vitality Of gypsy urchins whom one
sees running about clad in an irreduci-
BILE minimum of raiment in damp and
less as hardy and jolly as young colts,
| 9 q ri 70 h IN -
their constant rowing habits 1t is well
known that wild beasts in travelling
menageries, in spite of the rough and
limited accommodation which they
have to put up with, are more healthy
and live longer than those which have
all the care which science and money
| can provide in the geological gardens
Among the first elephants to breed in
captivity were those in Barnum's trav-
| cling show, and this almost unpre-
cedented event asserts in the most pos
tive manner that the circumstances
under which the animals lived were
roCre conducive to their general Well
being than those of the elephants in
Regents Park, or even in the Govern
nent establishments in India. Race
horses, it is said, are more likely to be-
| come STALE and to deteriorate in con-
dition when they are kept in one place
than when they are travelling about tc
different race meetings. Not a few
| owners of dray horses in London, such
as railway carriers, brewers, ETC., finj
it answers their purpose to have a
farm in the country, to which the
horses are sent for a change when they
show signs of failing health.
When we consider how unstable
| substance air is, and that on at leas
six days out of every seven it is con
| tinually moving from place to place a
the rate OF several miles an hour, tn,
| difference of character in the atmos
| phere at neighboring spots, and tn,
constant qualities it maintains at off
ferent times in the same locality, ar,
very difficult to explain.
All attempts Of chemists to accoun
for these minute aerial differences
which, nevertheless, have so weight.
an influence on the bodily health, hav,
hitherto been futile. The chemical com
position Of air, as far as gaseous inor
ganic matter is concerned, varies in al
extremely slight degree in different 10
calities. Out of doors the proportion o
nitrogen, oxygen and argon remain
practically constant in all regions, ant
carbonic acid varies only to the ex
tent of one part in thousand ever
| when we compare such extremes as tn,
air on Swiss mountain top and tina
in the most densely populated cities
The popular notion that sea air give
its vivifying effects to ozone is no
sanctioned by science, for, although ;
certain amount of that vauntet
gas is generally present in the air 0