|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 58
con di'tion, _state; situation_.
nec'es sa ry, _really needed_.
dis a gree'a ble, _very unpleasant_.
sen'si ble, _wise; knowing what is proper_.
ac cus'tomed, _being used to_.
es pe'cial ly, _more than usual_.
* * * * *
AIR.
We all know very well that we can not live without breathing.
What we do not all know, or do not all think of, is that we want not
only air, but good air. We are apt to take it for granted that any air
will do for us; stale air, dirty air, even poisonous air.
What makes the matter worse is, that we can not help spoiling air
ourselves by the very act of breathing.
If people are shut up in rooms where the bad air can not get out and the
good air can not get in at all, they are sure to be made ill.
Some people in Scotland thought they would have a merry Christmas party,
and invited their friends to come to a dance.
As it was very cold weather, they shut all the doors and windows tight,
and then they began to dance.
It was a small room with a low ceiling, and there were thirty-six people
dancing in it all night. By the time morning came the air was so bad
that it was really like poison; and very soon seven of the poor dancers
were seized with a terrible fever, and two of them actually died.
The air we breathe out is different from the air we take in. We send
away some things with our breath which were not in the air when we took
it in.
One of these is water. Sometimes you can see this for yourself. On a
cold, frosty day, you know we can see the clouds of steam coming out of
our mouths. This steam is only very fine particles of water.
In warm weather we do not see the steam, but the water is there all the
same; if you will breathe on a looking-glass at any time, you will make
it dim and damp directly with the water that is contained in your
breath.
We also breathe out animal matter, little particles of our own bodies
just ready to decay. We can not see them, but they soon give the air a
close, disagreeable smell. Good air has no smell at all.
And now I have something to say to you about the use of noses.
I dare say you can not see much use in the sense of smell. Seeing,
hearing, touching, are very needful to us, we all know; but as to
smelling, that does not seem to have any particular value.
It is pleasant to smell a sweet rose or violet; and, I believe, smelling
really forms a good part of what we call tasting.
Of all our senses, smell is the one that soonest gets out of practice.
If people would always accustom themselves to use their noses, they
never would consent to live in the horrid air they do.
If you go from the fresh air into a close room, you will notice the
smell at once. Then, if you remain there, you will soon get accustomed
to the smell and not notice it; but it will still be there, and will be
doing you a great deal of harm.
In good air there are, mainly, two sorts of gas.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|