Year: 1863

A WRITER IN the Philadelphia North


American has communication under the


above caption.


Hon to propagate scarlet feUer and to


perpetuate consumption an a family" The


writer, who signs himself GA Physician, .


states that there is no more certain meth


cd of efecting these results than the


practice now adopted by many of our


citizens, of keeping the house closed for


weeks or months after death has occur


red in it. The author of this paper, who


is also physician, would earnestly call


the attention of your readers to the mel


ancholy results of this practice, which,


though of comparatively modern origin


seems to have taken deep hold among us,


and which, in the language of the writer


before quoted, lis fast giving to PhiIa-


delphia, one of the most healthful cities


in the world, the appearance of a town


smitten with pestilence." No house


can be in a healthful condition which is


not daily opened to the light and the air.


1 have no doubt many of your readers
can give personal testimony to the de-
pressing effect on their nervous system,
from which the inmates of such houses
suffer.


If the practice be Objectionable in our
larger houses, it becomes a grievious cal
amity in the houses of the poor. But
few days since was called to see a poor
woman in the last stage of mortal disease.
She lived in little house with one room
on a floor. Five months before she had
lost daughter by consumption. From
that time until my visit she had lived in
her little room with the shutters closed,
completely excluding the light and pure
air. So efFectual was this exclusion, that
although my visit was made at an early
afternoon hour, was compelled to resort
to artificial light to properly investigate
her case. Another instance was that of
a poor washer woman, left a widow, with
a young family dependent for support on
her and her older daughters. For ten
months did these poor girls strain their
eye 81 hit, while sewing in the little dark
ened room which they were compelled to
occupy; and when demonstrated with BY
a kind friend, who endeayored to show
the mother the absurdity of thus living
in the dark, the reply made was, Sure,
and wouldn't you have us do like the
quality?" Many similar instances might
be given. I shall mention but one. About
a year since the writer was asked to Wis
it, in consultation with a medical friend, !
poor man in the last stage of pulmon-
ary consumption. The visit was made at |
eleven o'clock of a bright, clear morning,
and yet on entering his chamber we were
positively obliged TO grope through the
dark to find his bed. He had lost his
wife three months before, and in spite of
the remonstrances of his attending ply
sician, had persisted in living in this
darkened chamber, that he too, doubt
less, might be like the quality"


These instances are not exaggerated
any one need but walk through some of
our smaller streets to convince himself of
their truth. In view of these facts, I
would earnestly appeal to my fellow-citi-
zens to lend their influence in discoun-
tenancing this unnecessary practice. I
appeal to clergymen, to physicians, TO all
classes, to give their aid in discouraging
a fashion so detrimental to health, and in
every way reprehensible. Some of our
oldest families have steadily refused to
adopt this advertisement of their grief
which was unknown to their fathers, and
it needs but the cooperation of few
more of our influential citizens to set an
which will be gladly followed
by others. Thus will their own homes
and those of their neighbors be rendered
more healthful, our city present a more
cheerful appearance, while the chamber
of poverty and sickness will be lightened
of one of its most depressing concOmit-
ants. A PHYSICIAN.