Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-11-17
ELLSWORTH RED CROSS
NURSING SERVICE
MRS. BERTHA BULLOCK SMITH
Community Nurse
FRESH AIR


come to us merchandising these
Gays. There are no corporations
meters to heed, no monthly groan-
lngs over an inevitable bill.
But the miserly way in which
some OF us use fresh air would lead
a visitor from some strange planet
to think that it is the most expen-
s1ve and rarest of products. If we
were only as careless about the
amount of air that we use as we are
about electric lights, gas, gasoline
or any other product for which we
dig down into our bank roll, we un-
doubtedly would be healthier and
Weather nation.
The same people who regulate the
ventilation and temperature of
home in the most haphazard way,
would not think of using the same
guess-work methods on an incubator
filled with eggs. Eggs are too ex-
pensive and important to leave to
guess work, but poor human beings
must make out the best way they
can. With the incubator, precision
and care of a pawn broker count
ing out money are practised.
The reason for this discrimina-
ton against the family in favor of
embryonic chickens is the general
lack of appreciation for the impor-
lance Of ventilation and regulation
of temperature. Doctors tell us that
our consistent practice of keeping
houses closed tightly day and night
is one of the chief reasons for the
coughs, colds and more serious COM
plications experienced every winter.
1t is not the cold weather that does
it; it is lack of fresh air and too
much artificial heat.
Though the correct temperature
at which to maintain the air of a
room is, according to health
experts, GO degrees, few families fol-
low this practice. Instead, the tenn
perature of room regulated by
mometer, generally hovers we'll over
70 degrees, sometimes even getting
| up to rs degrees and 80 degrees.
This overheating plus the staleness
of the air leads to difficulties.
Especially are fresh air and cor
rect temperature important to chill
dren. According to the New York
State Commission on Ventilation,
when the temperature of room
gets above 68 degrees it raises the
temperature of a child, hurries his
pulse, lowers his blood pressure,
and weakens his heart action. The
commission, after careful research
work, asGertained that children in
school rooms where the temperature
was kept at 68 degrees or lower
suffered less from coughs and colds
than those in rooms where the tenn
perature was kept higher. They
also found out that people do fif-
teen per cent. less work in a room
where the temperature is IS de-
grees, than in one where the tenn
perature is 6S degrees or lower.
In the majority of rooms the air
| is too dry as we'll as too hot. The
humidity should be kept as nearly
as possible to the humidity of the
air on the outside. The only sue
cessful method for doing this is to
raise the windows and ventilate fire.
quently. Good air, we are told is
'fcool air, not above 6S degrees; it
is moist air with at least fifty per
cent. relative humidity; it is air in
motion, free from dust, bacteria, and
..
this whole process of keeping rooms
healthy and liveable, is to be lavish
with the use of fresh air
Every house should be aired thor
oughly each day. Doors and win
dows open just long enough to per-
NIT. fresh air to sweep through the
house or Office to wipe out "yester-
days air'-the only air which is
really harmful The practice gives
the day good start. This airing
should be supplemented with the
necessary regulation of Individual
rooms to keep the air constantly
fresh and the temperature correct.
A window board for the oftice-an
opening of windows during recess
for the schools, and then at night
open windows! 1t is surprising that
the ancient custom of sleeping with
windows closed is not yet completely
abandoned. Though the crusade
against tuberculosis has opened
many windows, there are those who
still indulge in closed windows, one
of the most unhealthy practices to
which the human race is subject.
At least one window in the bed room
should be lowered from the top and
raised from the bottom before re-
firing. With the bed placed in
such a position as to avoid the dan
ger of sleeping in draught and
with sufficient bed clothing, there
will be only good results.
Few people will any longer ques-
ton the economy of raising windows
for ventilation. The day when
maricans waiph the cost Of health
is past. When health is lost, all is
lost AS a matter of fact, it is
doubtful If it costs any more to chill
to keep is closed up "stuffy tight"