Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-16
The Community Health

begin to squirt until he IL eighteen
months old the progress OF the blind
ness will not be SO rapid. but he will be
blind in the squirting eye in Ave or six
months.
II he does not begin to squint until
the age Of 3 years he seldom loses the
power Ut vision in less than . year
thereafter. After the age Of s years,
the danger IS not so great, and the
child may retain 1t to some extent.
Every child who shows symptoms OF
squint should have early attention If
sight is to be preserved or the ceforin-
ity prevented.
The Open Air Treatment.
II sometimes happens that when
popular explanation Of phenomenon
Is disp-oved the impression. is produced
that the occurrence Of the phenomenon
itself is denied. Something like this has
taken place with reference to the re-
cent work on the phycio,ogic factors
involved in room ventilation and the
open air treatment. There is reason to
believe that the general public Is still
somewhat confused on this point. 1t
was for long time supposed that the
bad effects Of close and crowded rooms
were due to chemical impurities In the
air, to excess Of carbon dioxid or to
organic poison, or else TO lack OF oxy-
gen. No one Of these explanations 10
tenable in the light OF recent expert
ment.. On the contrary, all the III ef-
fects observable in crowded rooms
seem to depend on the stagnation, high
temperature and moisture In the air;
in a word, to those factors that disturb
the normal heat regulation Of the body.
If the temperature and moisture are
kept low, human exhalat!ons may be
allowed to accumulate without notice
able effect to a point far above that
ordinarily observed in the most badly
ventilated" room. On the other hand.
if the experimenter breathes pure"
outdoor air thru a tube, but allows his
body to be confined in small cham
Der where temperature end moisture
are at high point. he will soon have
all the symptoms commonly attributed
to breathing foul air.
To substitute this explanation, which
is wholly in accord with recent expert
mentation, for the once-current theory
that expired air has toxic property
| is not to question the value OF fresh
air or to decry the open treatment
for tuberculosis. On the contrary, we
are now in Il much better position to
! understand in what way cool air and
especially moving air produces marked
| inauguration and improvement OF the
| general health. When the body loses
heat at suitable rate. heat production
J must also proceed at certain rate In
order to compensate for the loss. This
means improved assimilation of food.
and a larger consumption Of FOOD
means better supply Of material to
build up the body. The action Of cool,
moving air is probably in itself bene-
| fetal Moreover. 1t impels to exercise,
and increased activity increases nusf!-
| ton.
! On the other hand, exposure to the
stagnant atmosphere OF confined
places allow the skin TO become sur
rounded with an envelope Of warm air
| which prevents the body from losing
heat at proper rate. The nerves OF
the skin are not stimulated. The cir
culation IL depressed. Reluctance to
exercise and to any bodily exertion be-
comes marked. Expansion Of the lungs
and oxygenation Of the blood are less
frequent and thorough. insufficient
food is taken and much Of the food
eaten may decompose in the intestine
), and produce poisonous products.
Altogether there is still sound ply
siologic foundation for the belief ir
the virtues Of the outdoor life for the
healthy az well as for the tuberculoui
person. In point OF fact nothing car
discredit the rational open-air treat
ment no matter what progress ply.
Eiolcgy and hygienists nay make II