Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-01-31
FRESH AIR
LACK OF liz IN THE HOMES OF.
NORTH DAKOTA PEo- Il
PIE
is CONDUCIVE TO MANY Ills
SLEEPING ROOMS SHOULD
HAVE PLENTY. /,

At this season Of the year, the ques-
ton of fresh air and good ventilation
is an extremely important one, espe-
.cially in a cold climate like North Da-
kota, for the reason that when the
thermometer registers very low, it is:
hard to heat a building. It Is there
fore, customary to put on storm win
doWs and make the building as tight
as possible. Many put on storm win;
sdows without ventilators. Many more
have ventilators which are altogether.
too small to let in sufficient amount
of fresh air, even if left open all the
time. It is calculated that three thou
sand cubic feet of air is required by
each audult person every hour in order
to be in perfect health The great ma
jority of people do not get anywhere
near that amount during the winter
months. Therefore, colds, pneumonia,
lagrippe, bronchitis, and consumption
are very prevalent. Many more
emerge in the spring very much de-
yitalized ctrun-doWn')
Crowded rooms should be avoided
unless an abundance ST fresh air is
supplied. Under this head comes
many churches, theatres and other
rooms for public meetings. I have
been in many Of these in which the
air became positively abominable be-
fore the meeting was over If one has
breathed highly polluted atmosphere
IN room of this sort. for some hours
he is quite likely to catch so-called
cold" when he leaves the building.
IN most instances, these colds are. in
reality, due to dust which is contami-
mated by disease germs, which find
logement in the upper respiratory pas
sages. II the individual is in perfect
health, it may do him no harm, but if
ne receives a severe chill upon leaving
the building, favorable opportunity is
given for the disease germs to multi
ply and produce a "cold I. !" The same
is true of many other diseases, such as
lagrippe, pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc.
The sleeping room should be not
only well ventilated. but rather cool.
Our forefathers slept in cold rooms,
perhaps heated a little on going to
bed, or arising in the morning by a
4 small fire in the CRATE. These fire,
places We're excellent ventilators. On
the other hand, the ordinary stove has
very little value. if any, as a ventila.
4 tor. The ordinary kerosene heater is
4 an abomination, and should not be toll
Grated under any circumstances as al
of the poisonous products Of combus
ton are thrown directly into the at
mosphere we breathe Above all things
they should never be used in the sick
room. In one instance, I called upon q
patient in a small room which was
heated by a kerosene heater The
4 room was so tightly closed that al
most staggered upon taking my firsl
breath of the atmosphere. The oxygen
4 of the room was SO nearly exhausted
that there was just small yellow
4 flame, in fact, it was scarcely burning
As soon as the air rushed into the
1 room, the flame burned up brightly
/ The patient in this case was almost il
4 a stupor, but, strange, to say, did not
realize that there was anything the
matter with the matter with the at
i mosphere. Very large kerosene lamps
are sometimes used for heating, OF
course, with bad effects upon the as
4 mosphere. Gasoline stoves and even
gas ranges should not be used in the
winter. time unless provided with a
vent in connection with the chimney
for carving off products of combus
ton. q. "a a s
# a proper amount of fresh air was
4 furnished, and If we did not live in toe
4 close and warm an atmosphere, we
] should be just as robust as and more
free from disease in North Dakota
than in any other state in the Union
for the reason that we do not have
sudden changes Of temperature and at
mospherical conditions. Many people
believe that when one has any lung
trouble, they must be protected from
1 the cold and fresh air. Nothing could
be more erroneous. The fact is thai
they need more fresh air than vel
4 person. Even cold air is not harmful
4 II the individual has pneumonia 81
consumption. and part Of the lung is
out Of commission, the part which il
we'll must, necessarily, work enough
harder TO make up for the part tx
4 which the air does not enter. If, 81
4 top Of this, the atmosphere is extreme
4 " foul, and loaded with poisons whicf
have been breathed Off. we further en-