Overheated Houses and Pneumonia
By D. H. Kress
DURING the winter, pneumonia is responsible for more deaths than any other disease, not even excepting tuberculosis. One out of about every five deaths in our large cities during the month of December was due to this disease. While tuberculosis attacks the undernourished, those suffering from malnutrition, pneumonia selects the overnourished, who are apparently robust and in good health. The soil which most favors the growth of the germ of pneumonia is the one which contains most organic impurities. Because of this, pneumonia is chiefly a meat-eaters’ disease, and confined to those whose habits are sedentary, or to house-dwellers. Starch, sugar, and fats are the natural heat producers in winter as well as during the summer. They should be used more liberally, however, during the winter than during the summer months, because a greater amount of heat is needed to keep the body warm. When burned up within the body, they give off carbonic-acid gas and water, which are readily eliminated. When used a little in excess, the person may put on adipose tissue, but no serious injury results. There are many who recognize that meat is not the most suitable food for the summer, but for some reason the feeling prevails that while meat-eating may not be indicated during the summer months, it becomes a necessity during the cold weather. As a result, meat is partaken of in large quantities by the average American during the winter. While meat can be utilized in the production of heat, it is never a good body fuel. In the first place, it has concealed within its fibers organic impurities which favor the growth of bacteria; and secondly, when it is burned up within the body, it forms carbonic-acid gas and water, the same as do the fats, sugar, and starches; and in addition there is left a solid residuum, or ash, popularly known as uric acid. One who leads an active, outdoor life can dispose of a good share of this product, for the active muscle and the improved circulation of blood through the liver assist in converting the harmful uric acid and other organic wastes into harmless products, and as such they may be eliminated through the kidneys without marked injury to the tissues through which they circulate or the organs through which they are eliminated. In addition to this, meat always undergoes a certain amount of putrefaction in the alimentary canal. All meat-eaters suffer with a mild form of ptomain poisoning all the time. The poisons are not formed in sufficient quantities to cause serious symptoms, but in sufficient amount to undermine the resistance of the tissue to germs of disease, and they especially prepare the tissue soil for the cultivation of the germ of pneumonia. In themselves, cold and changes in temperature are not responsible for pneumonia. They act only as causes if they are successful in leading us to shut up our offices, living-rooms, and bedrooms. It is the breathing of impure air, and especially of overheated impure air, that is responsible for the increased prevalence of this disease during the winter months. We may guard against pneumonia by keeping the tissue soil unfertile for the growth of this specific germ. We do this: (1) By using in moderation the nitrogenous foods, and excluding meats from our dietary; (2) by suitably protecting our bodies from sudden changes of temperature by proper clothing; (3) by admitting outdoor air into the rooms in which we live and sleep; and (4) by preventing overheating of the living-rooms, for even overheated pure air is debilitating. The temperature during the day should not be above sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, and at night it may be as low as forty degrees, or even lower, provided the body is well protected and is kept warm. The admission of air should be regulated according to the outdoor temperature. It should be admitted in such a way as not to strike the floor. The aim in every ventilating system should be to keep the air surrounding the feet warmer than the air surrounding the head. This can be done by directing the air upward as it enters the room. The simplest contrivance is a slat about three inches in width placed at the bottom of the lower window. This will allow the air to enter at the union of the upper and lower sash, and will at the same time direct it upward.