Fresh
Air.
As we go about our daily duties we come across
individuals we come across so many individuals who have breathing problems and
circulation problems. Here is what the pen of inspiration has to say
In
order to have good health, we must have good blood; for the blood is the
current of life. It repairs waste and nourishes the body. When supplied with
the proper food elements and when cleansed and vitalized by contact with pure
air, it carries life and vigor to every part of the system. The more perfect
the circulation, the better will this work be accomplished.
At every pulsation of the heart the blood should make its way quickly and easily to all parts of the body. Its circulation should not be hindered by tight clothing or bands, or by insufficient clothing of the extremities. Whatever hinders the circulation forces the blood back to the vital organs, producing congestion. Headache, cough, palpitation of the heart, or indigestion is often the results .
Respiration
In order to have good blood, we must breathe well. Full, deep inspirations of
pure air, which fill the lungs with oxygen, purify the blood. They impart to it
a bright color and send it, a life-giving current, to every part of the body. A
good respiration soothes the nerves; it stimulates the appetite and renders digestion
more perfect; and it induces sound, refreshing sleep.
The lungs should be allowed the greatest freedom possible. Their capacity is developed by free action; it diminishes if they are cramped and compressed. Hence the ill effects of the practice so common, especially in sedentary pursuits, of stooping at one's work. In this position it is impossible to breathe deeply. Superficial breathing soon becomes a habit, and the lungs lose their power to expand. A similar effect is produced by tight lacing. Sufficient room is not given to the lower part of the chest; the abdominal muscles, which were designed to aid in breathing, do not have full play, and the lungs are restricted in their action.
Thus an insufficient supply of oxygen is received. The blood moves sluggishly. The waste, poisonous matter, which should be thrown off in the exhalations from the lungs, is retained, and the blood becomes impure. Not only the lungs, but the stomach, liver, and brain are affected. The skin becomes sallow, digestion is retarded; the heart is depressed; the brain is clouded; the thoughts are confused; gloom settles upon the spirits; the whole system becomes depressed and inactive, and peculiarly susceptible to disease.
The lungs are constantly throwing off
impurities, and they need to be constantly supplied with fresh air. Impure air
does not afford the necessary supply of oxygen, and the blood passes to the
brain and other organs without being vitalized. Hence the necessity of thorough
ventilation. To live in close, ill-ventilated rooms, where the air is dead and
vitiated, weakens the entire system. It becomes peculiarly sensitive to the
influence of cold, and a slight exposure induces disease. It is close
confinement indoors that makes many women pale and feeble. They breathe the
same air over and over until it becomes laden with poisonous matter thrown off
through the lungs and pores, and impurities are thus conveyed back to the blood.
Ventilation and Sunlight
In the construction of buildings, whether for public purposes or as dwellings,
care should be taken to provide for good ventilation and plenty of sunlight. MH
271-274
Tight bands or waists hinder the action of the heart and lungs and should be
avoided. No part of the body should at any time be made uncomfortable by
clothing that compresses any organ or restricts its freedom of movement. The
clothing of all children should be loose enough to admit of the freest and
fullest respiration, and soarranged that the shoulders will support its weight.