88
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene
the night air, you must stop breathing.” In the cool of the evening it
may be necessary to guard against chilliness by extra clothing; but
there should be a free circulation of pure air through the room during
sleeping hours. The free air of heaven, by day or night, is one of the
richest blessings we can enjoy.
Fresh air will purify the blood, refresh the body, and help to make
it strong and healthy. The invigoration produced will be reflected upon
the mind, imparting to it tone and clearness, as well as a degree of
composure and serenity. It gives a healthful stimulus to the appetite,
renders the digestion of food more perfect, and induces sound, sweet
sleep. Living in close, ill-ventilated rooms, weakens the system, makes
the mind gloomy, the skin sallow, and the circulation feeble; the blood
moves sluggishly, digestion is retarded, and the system is rendered
peculiarly sensitive to cold. One should so accustom himself to fresh,
cool air that he will not be affected by slight changes of temperature.
Of course he should be careful not to sit in a draft or in a cold room
when weary, or when in a perspiration.
Many labor under the mistaken idea that if they have taken cold they
must carefully exclude the outside air, and increase the temperature of
the room until it is excessively hot. But the system of one suffering
with cold is deranged, the pores are closed by waste matter, and there
[105]
is more or less inflammation of the internal organs, because the blood
has been chilled back from the surface, and thrown upon them. At
this time, of all others, the lungs should not be deprived of pure air.
Judicious exercise would induce the blood to the surface, and thus
relieve the internal organs. The power of the will is a great help in
resisting cold, and giving energy to the nervous system. To deprive
the lungs of air, is like depriving the stomach of food. Air is the food
that God has provided for the lungs. Welcome it; cultivate a love for
it, as a precious boon of heaven.
Home Hygiene
One of the most prolific sources of disease is the transgression of
the laws of life in regard to personal habits. Order and cleanliness
are laws of heaven. The directions given to Moses when the Lord
was about to declare his law upon Mount Sinai, were very strict in
this respect. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and