THE AIR OF BEDROOMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 247, 17 October 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE AIR OF BEDROOMS.

' The conviction that nighb air is unwholesome and should be rigidly excluded, once so prevalenb, probably now only survives amongsb the most unlettered and ignorant. Ab the presenb day ib cannot be too sbrongly asserted that for those who enjoy reasonably good health night air is as wholesome a3 thab of bhe day, and may even be said bo be purer, as ib is more fro 9 from dusb and spores raised from the ground by wind, human braffic, and evaporation. In towns, no doubt, many people sleep with their windows shut to deaden the noise of the streets, which in busy cities like London aro rarely withoub traffic of some sort, except in the early morning hours, rather than bo avoid inhaling night air. That the practice is exceedingly common amongsb the working classes is shown by an observer ab Leeds, who on several occasions in July and Augusb has counted tho number of open and shut bedroom windows in a workmen's quarter of that city, and found only about 33 per cent, of the windows to be partially open, the remaining 67 per cent, boing" tightly closed. In winter the percentage of closed windows is probably much higher. The occupation of bedrooms with closed doors and windows creates an atmosphere often sufficienbly vitiated to cause weariness and drowsiness in bhe early morning instead of bhab feeling of renewed life and vigour bhab should bo experienced, and much of bhe headache and neuralgia so constantly met with may be reasonably credited to the same cause. If anyone will take the trouble to return to his shut-up bedroom after spending ten minutes in the fresh morning air outside ho will be surprised to find how close and disagreeable is the atmosphere in which ho has spent the last eight or nine hours. Wo ("British Modical Journal ") would, then, recommend to all who ' are in health tho adoption of open bedroom windows afc night. The effect of the purer air will soon be ascertained in increased health and spirits and a larger capacity for bearing the toils and troubles of the day.