Evening journal., 1897-04-28
DUR HOUSES ARE TOO WARM.
Too Many Housewives OverheRt
Their Living Rooms

TOO many housewives ONeEneNr
Their Living Rooms.
The proper temperature Of our living
rooms is a disputed question at this sea-
son and one that every housewife must
consider. The Americans as a people
are probably no worse or more I'M
healthy than other nations, but we arc
by no means free from blemishes and
now and then we have our attention
called to some of. our national faults
by a sharp-eyed, quickwitted foreigner.
One of the late criticisms is the Ameri-
can habit of overheating our houses.
1t is an undisputed fact that in the
northern sections of the country, at
least, we habitually keep our living
rooms and halls of public assembly
rs we'll at too high a temperature. Tho
habit is a bad one and is not only cost
" but unhealthy.
A thoughtful physician who has COM
bated this pernicious custom all his life
attributes one-half the colds and throat
disorders that prevail to this cause
alone. Rooms having a temperature
of much above 20 degrees are necessari-
ly enervating to the system and weak
ened body is much more apt TO succumb
to disease than a strong. healthy one.
1t is no wonder that so many of our
women are sicllly and low-spirited. con-
fined as they are day after day and
week after week in such houses, going
out of doors only when it is absolutely
necessary.
We constantly find "tender" people
who keep their living rooms at tenn
perature of so degrees during the win.
ter, who will assert that the air is chill
ly if it is cooler. The cause of thif
foolish habit is not far to seek. Most
American women, even those of more
than average means, are accustomed
to pass a part of their time IN the
kitchen, where culinary necessities put
a wholesome temperature quite out of
the question. When they have finished
their tasks in this department our tired
and overheated housewives turn to the
other rooms to find them "cold." They
are cold only by comparison, but it
would be difficult TO make one believe
it. The consequence is the register is
opened or the fire stirred up until the
sitting-room is as warm as the kitchen,
and the habit of Overheating, coming
down from the days of huge woodpiles
and roaring chimney-places, projects
itself into the age of double windows,
steam-heating apparatus and red-hot
coal stoves.
1t is astonishing to what degree we
are creatures of habit in this respect
and how readily we become habituated
to a much higher temperature than Is
necessary or beneficial to us. was re-
Gently in house where the housewife
! constantly wore a light shawl over her
shoulders, at the same time keeping
the temperature of her living room up
TO nearly So and yet she declared that
she suffered from cold. She was thin.
and pale and dyspeptic and was always
doctoring for a cold. What she needed
was cold shower bath every day and
daily exercise in the open air. She
could then have dispensed with her
wraps and could have been comfortable
in lower temperature.
1t is well to remember that colds
are as often caught by going sudden
~ from a cold to an overheated atmos-
phere-as from the street on a cold VIM
ter day into room at so degrees-as
from heated room into the cold. The
less perceptible the change, the greater
the security.
A little thought and experimenting
will work a reform In many households,
to the increased comfort and health of
it's inmates and to the advantage of the
coal bin and wOodpile. In these days
of dear fuel and cheap thermometers,
the latter should be INDUCED in until
we have reduced the temperature Of our
overheated apartments, public and pri-
vate, to q point favorable to economy
and health.
A thermometer should be in every
sitting-room, and it should not be per-
mitted to indicate O temperature Of
more than 20 degrees. This is warm
enough for health and perhaps lower
temperature would be still better. Dr..
Kane, during his arctic explorations,
said that his men were more comfort
able when the cabin was at 61 OF 62 de-
grees than when it was warmer, and
that is the temperature recommended
for hospital wards. - Philadelphia
Times.