Press enter after choosing selection

Open The Shutters

Open The Shutters image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
May
Year
1863
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Ihc ffficlripu jrp& A writur-i.i ihe Phl'adolpbita Nirtk American han a commuiHcution uuüer tht; u'.Hive qnptioD : " Huw to prspogale ncarlet Jcrer and to per peínale consatuption tu a fittily." Tlie writer, tohO'Sjgus hhnaelf " A Piysioian," stiit.e that thcre; is do more oertuin metfiDí! oí effeéting thesu resulta thiin tho pKñotice now adop'ed ly many ofour citixens, oí keepiíiLr the house cliwed for Htítks or moiiüis aíter a deatli has w:ci!ru.l tn it. Tho 'ntithor t' thk pnpcr, who s aleo pbyskian, wunid tíaruis!ly cali tho attteutiou of yojir rtaders to the rnulancholy resuíts ot'tfus praotice, which, thaugh of compaiilivoly modern origin, seems to have taken (leep hold [iinong ns, and which n the titiguage betore quoted, " s fnst givmg to Pbiladelphia, one of the most healtliful cHiés in tho woild, the appuardnce ot a town emitton with pe.stilotoe." No house can be n a healthful oonditioii which a not daily opjued to tho light and tho air. I have'no doubt many of your readers can givo personal testiaiony to tho depressing effect on their nervous systein, from which thc iomates of such housea sufier. íf tbc prnc'ioe be o' jectionablo n our largo housös, it becomea a g-rovious calamity in ihe houses of the poor. but 11 few days sinoo I wae called to eee a poor woman in the last stage of mortal disoase. She lived in aIitt!e house wi,h mie room on ;i Hoor. Fivo months before she had lost a daughter by consumption From that time un til my visit sho had lived in her litile room with the sbottera olosed, completely exoluding the light and pure air. So effeetual was thi.s exclusión, that alt'nough my visit was made at an early afterooon honr, I was compolled to resort lo artificial light to properly investigate her case. Ánother insiance was that of a poor washer woman, left a widow, with a young farnily dependent ior support on her and lier older danghters. Por ten months did these poor girfa strain their eye sight, while aewing in a littie darkenèd room which they wero corrpelled to occupy ; and when remonstrated with by a kind friend, who endeavored to show the mother the absurdity oí this living in tho dark, tbo reply made was, " Suro, and woukin't you have ua do like the quality?" Alany similar instances inight be given. I shall mention but ono. About a yearsince the writef was nsked to visit, in consultation with a medical frieud, a poor man ia the last etage of pulmonary consumption. The visit was made at 11 o'clock of a brigbt, clear morning, and vet on entering the chamber we were positively obliged to grope through tho dark to find his bed. ile had lost his wife three raonths before, and in spito of the remonstrance' oi his attending physician, had persisted in living in this darkenod chamber, that he, lo ), doubtl-.'ss, might be " like ihe qaality." These instanc.es are not exaggorated ; nny one need bat walk through soma of our smaller streets to convinco elf of tbeir Iruth, ín viow of theso fuct-i, I would oarnestiy appeal to rny fellow-citizens to lend their influonoo in discountenancing t h i s unneeassary practico. I appoal to clergymen, to physicians. to all classes, to give their aid in diseouraging a fasbitin so detrimental to healtb, and in every way reprehensible, Some of our oldest families have steadily refused to adopt this advertifomunt of their grief whioh was unknown to their iathers, and it needs but the co-operatioo of a few moro of our influential eitizena to set an examplo, whioh svill he gladly iollowed by oí hors. Thus will their own homes and thoae oí their neighbors be rondered more healthful, our city prosent a more cheerful appearane, while tho charnber of poverty and pickness will be lightened of ono of its depreasing concomitants.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus