138 



WARMING AND VENTILATION. 



ly killptl; for you use no salt, neithpr do you make 

 uny brt-ail, ami are a stranger to the poisons that 

 lurk under honied cates.' How miserably is tliis 

 line picture of polar happiness destroyed by the 

 tlisregaril or ij^norancc of the art of ventilation ! 

 Liipj'i, li]>}ii si/nt, quaintly observes their i)hiloso- 

 ]>hical admirer. The nauseous smoky cottan^e 

 allliets the whole nation with the only ilisease to 

 •which it is subject — blear eyes. In the Greenlan- 

 dcr's anxiety to save all the heat which the extra- 

 vagant man of Lancashire throws away, he loses 

 sight of the baneful action of a putrid atmosphere 

 on liis constitution. Yet, with a little ingenuity, 

 he might ventilate liis unsavory apartment, and 

 breathe an air as pure as that blowing over his ice- 

 fields, and as bland and balmy as if it were wafted 

 from the bay of Naples; and though cast by fate 

 into the snowy wilderness, his body and mind feel- 

 ing the heavenly influence, might assimilate to the 

 godlike standards of his species in the incense- 

 breathing south. By a proper ajiplication of the 

 non-conducting powers of a few substances, an 

 apartment might be constructed for the Norman 

 women, who chose to club their own heat, in which, 

 by burning the same weight of tallow during 

 day that is consumed in candles during night, the 

 presence of the milky mothers might be dispensed 

 with, the lace-making operations be carried on in 

 sunlight, and in a more pleasant atmosphere than 

 that of the cow-house. Even the Scottish, Irish, 

 Polish, Russian, Caucasian, Grecian, Spanish anil 

 Persian dwellings, might have their atmosi)here 

 sweetened, their dangerous inequalities of tempe- 

 rature regulated, and the benign influence of natu- 

 ral climate be aideil and intinitelj- increased withal. 

 It should never be overlooked, that by breathing 

 pent-up, ctrete air, all the advantages of an abun- 

 dance of fuel, and every blessing of a genial sky 

 are utterly thrown away; and though the habita- 

 tion were on the hilltop, fanned by the sweetest 

 breezes of heaven, it would become the focus of 

 contagious and loathsome disease, and of death in 

 its most appalling aspect. On the other hand, even 

 in the conflned quarters of a crowded city, rife in 

 malaria, and where pestilence is striking whole fa- 

 milies and classes, ventilation and warmth, with 

 cleanliness, their usual attendant, like the sprink- 

 lings on the lintels and doori)OSts of the Hebrew 

 dwellings, stand as a sign for the Destroying Angel 

 as he passes over to stay his hand, for in the warm, 

 fresh-aired chamber none ma}' be smitten. [P. 17.] 



In the chapter on the effects of artificial 

 temperature upon invalids, some very cu- 

 rious details are given of the singular mode 

 of treating consumptive patients, by placing 

 them in a cow-house ; of which w^e have 

 before more than once heard similar ac- 

 counts : 



" After an illness, says Madame IMezeray, during 

 which I took little care of myself, I fell into a 

 consumption. At length I s\nt blood in clots, and 

 had other bad symptoms. I lost my sleep; and 

 being as ill as possible, I had several consultations 



with the first ))hy3icians in Paris. Thry conchidcil 

 my complaint was to<j far advanccil to leave any 

 hope of a cure; but they prescribed asss milk, anil 

 exercise on horseback; which last 1 was too weak 

 to take. 



"I was nineteen. I beheld my end approach with 

 deep <lisniaj'. One day. when I was bewailing my- 

 self, a very sensible friend of mine paid me a visit. 

 In the miilst of his condolence he said, since all 

 the physicians abandon you, let me bringyoua man 

 who is trcateil here as a charlatan because he is 

 not known, but who in my opinion is a man of me- 

 rit. He broiight him. I S])it blood in clots. 1 

 was in such violent pain, and my fever was so 

 high, that I cried out, ' Ah, if there be yet time, 

 save me!' He promised to do all in his j>owcr; 

 but I heard him saj', in a low voice, that it was 

 very late. He matle me promise to follow his or- 

 ders exactly, how j>ainful soever they might be; 

 and I kept my woril. Finding that a remedy he 

 prescribed had not the desiretl ell'ect, he gave or- 

 ders for a cow-house to be prepared for me, which 

 was finished in a day, in a coach-house belonging 

 to my house. They broke open a window, and 

 contrived stalls for three cows; a wooden railing, 

 high enough for me to lean upon, was all that se- 

 parated me from the animals. My beil was placed 

 upon planks about a foot from the grounti, the bel- 

 ter to let the filth run under; and the planks were 

 pur))oscly ill-joined, that the v.apor might rise 

 through them; and this was so strong, that every 

 thing white which was brought in became reddish 

 in a short time. 



" My apartment was dfvided into two rooms. 

 That whicli I lived in was pretty large, and held a 

 bed with curtains, surroundeil by a gauze blind 

 to keep away the flics, which always abounil in 

 stables, and are particularly insupi)ortable during 

 illness, a wooden table, two straw chairs without 

 cushions, and bare walls — such was my chamber. 

 There was a sort of anti-chamber for the woman 

 who took care of the cows. My surgeon and wait- 

 ing maitl lodged over head. 1 had bells to call 

 them at pleasure. 



" I soon si)it less blood. After being a week in 

 the cow-house, my legs ceased swelling. Other 

 symptoms improved. The night sweats I almost 

 always had continued long after, but finally left 

 me. From the moment I entered it, I renounced 

 every species of food except milk: 1 did not taste 

 bread even for nine months. People came to see 

 me as an object of curiosity. The Duchess of Or- 

 leans paid me a visit; and, after my recovery, she 

 recommended Doctor Saiflert to the Duke, which 

 was the means of making his fortune. Here I re- 

 mained nine months without intermission, with 

 the exception of a few riiles in a close carriage. 

 In short, he saved me at the expense of my hair 

 only, which all fell ofi". It was necessary to re- 

 pair my fore teeth, which I had neglected in my 

 illness; and I was absolutely forbid to j)lay on the 

 harp, which had made my breath very short; but 

 what is all this in comparison with life ? I am 

 now becOTne quite a strong woman; and although 

 not so vigorous now at thirty-six as when I was 

 nineteen, for all that I think I shall weather life 

 out very well." 



