How to Live: Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern Science — John Shaqi
How to Live: Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern ScienceFisher, Irving
Science
How to Live: Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern Science
Fisher, Irving
Hygiene
Many people are still deterred from sleeping out by a mistaken fear of
night air and of the malaria which they imagine this dreaded night air
may bring. To-day we know that malaria is communicated by the bite of
the anopheles mosquito and never by the air. The moral of this is not to
shut out the night air, but, when necessary, to shut out the mosquito by
screens. The experiment has been made of sleeping out-of-doors _in
screened cages_ in the most malarial of places and no malarial infection
resulted, though those who were unprotected and were consequently bitten
by mosquitoes contracted malaria as usual. The truth is that night air,
especially in cities, is distinctly purer than day air, on account of
the fact that there is much less traffic at night to stir up dust.
[Sidenote: Protection From Cold]
It is very important, in any sleeping balcony, to be protected from the
wind by a sash on one or two or--in very windy places--three sides. But
of course sleeping out-of-doors does not reach its maximum efficiency if
there is too much protection, that is, if the sleeping-out place is so
shut in that very free currents of air are not secured. An outdoor
porch really ceases to be an outdoor porch, when enclosed on four sides.
A roll curtain (preferably rolling from the bottom) can be arranged on
the open side or sides, to be used in case of storms only. In cold
weather a thick mattress, or two mattresses, should be used. It is not
only what is over the sleeper, but also what is under him, that keeps
him warm. The body should be warmly clad, and the head and neck
protected by a warm cap or helmet or hood. To prevent the entrance of
cold air under the bedclothes, one or more blankets should be extended
at least two feet beyond the head, with a central slit for the head.
Early awakening by the light may, if necessary, be prevented by touching
the eyelids with burnt cork, or by bandaging the eyes with a black cloth
or stocking. Sheets should be well warmed in the winter-time before
being used. They can easily be warmed with a hot-water bag, flat-iron,
or soapstone. Blankets next to the skin are not hygienic.
[Sidenote: Sleeping-tents]
Sleeping out is really much easier than most people imagine. In fact,
few, if any, of the other cardinal rules of hygiene are so easy to
obey. Where a sleeping-porch is not available, an inward window tent can
always be had which puts the sleeper practically out-of-doors and at the
same time cuts off his tent from the rest of the room.
[Sidenote: Outdoor Tents]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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