South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-15
Open Windows and
Really Enjoy Life!
This Fine Theory, if Practised,
is the SureSt Weapon
Against Coughs, Colds and
Consumption.
Rr Woods Hutchinson. NJ. d.

The Worlds Foremost Writer on
Medical Subjects.
Perhaps the first sentiment that
rises in the mind at the. sight Of
this title in the admirable open
Window Week" of the New York
city department of health takes the
form of Alice in Wonderland's ques-
ton, why not?"
Is il possible that after the floods
of instruction and reams Of good
advice which have been poured into
our ears and spread before our
eyes, placarded. megaphOned. filmed
and phonographed, that there can
breathe any person so benighted as
not 10 know that the normal state
of windows is open?
Indeed. 1 think il may be safely
assumed that we all not only know
il but believe it. in an abstract,
purely Pickwickian sense, but when
it comes TO practising it. that is
something else again" as Mawruss
expresses il. Certainly, a walk in the
dewy morning hours through the
streets Of even our most prosperous
and desirable residential suburbs,
nay. even-whisper il gently-past
the broad facades of hospitals. past
nurses homes, even past and cir
cling round the homes Of prominent
members Of the medical profession,
would give painfully little ground
for the belief that anyone in this
enlightened community had the
habit of living with open windows
Brooklyn an offender.
In fact, one cOld-bloOded and
see ptical observer reported just such
a trip as this through the most
famous and select residential dis
trict Of Brooklyn-and what the
mere name Of Brooklyn cOnnOtes in
culture. intelligence and hygienic
up-to-dateness needs no PARTICULAR
zationl-in the early winter, with
the painful result Of finding that
only IS percent OF the houses had
one or more open windows in front,
and that overwhelming majority Of
them hadn't a single 0Den window
discoverable upon any one Of their
sides which could be seen from the
street! Evidently. whatever we may
b. lieve. il is distressingly obvious
tFat at least half. If not two-thirds.
still act upon the principle that
when we sleep we pass into a sort
Of alternating state where we need
no oxygen whatever and can COM
fortably consume our own smoke.
Always a Struggle.
Nor is this painful gap between
theory and practise. creed and life
confined 20 the mere lay part Of the
community. The struggle for fresh
air. is just as keen and uphill. the
rarity of r. almost as striking. liz
hospitals. medical colleges. gymnas-
iums. and the lecture rooms OF de-
partments of physical culture. As
one Of the leading hospital physi-
clans in great metropolis, a
pioneer in the fresh-air crusade.
weariedly and discouragedly re-
marked a few months ago. There
are at least 20 good and sufficient
reasons for keeping the windows in
a hospital ward shut TO one for
having them open And the worst
OF il is that all the shutting rea-
sons are self.acting, while the
opening ones have 20 be worked
by hand by the doctor himself. and
the sashes fly back shut as If by
magic the moment he leaves the
building"
Moreover. the sessions Of great
sanitary congresses and OF national
public health associations are held
in rooms and halls not merely i'll
ventilated but almost as innocent OF
any form OF ventilation as an
Egyptian tomb.
And If anyone wants TO know
what the early Christian martyrs
felt like all he needs 20 do is 10 go
around opening windows in street
cars. trains and other public places