Inconvenience can, in most cases, be remedied ; but un-
healthfulness or unwholesomeness of location, verj" sel-
dom : and therefore, in the beginning, I write that ignor-
ance is small excuse for error, and that every one able to
read at all, or use common-sense about anj^ detail of life,
is able to form a judgment of what is healthful or un-
healthful. If no books are at hand, consult the best
physician near, and have his verdict as to the character of
the spot in which more or less of your life in this world
will be spent, and which has the power to affect not only
your mental and bodily health, but that of j^our children.
Because your fathers and mothers have been neglectful of
these considerations, is no reason why you should continue
in ignorance ; and the first duty in making a home is to
consider earnestly and intelhgentl}^ certain points.
Four essentials are to be thought of in the choice of
any home ; and their neglect, and the ignorance which is
the foundation of this neglect, are the secret of not only
the chronic ill-health supposed to be a necessity of the
American organization, but of many of the epidemics and
mysterious diseases classed under the head of ' ' visitations
of Providence."
These essentials are : a wholesome situation, good ven-
tilation, good drainage, and a dry cellar. Rich or poor,
high or low, if one of these be disregarded, the result will
tell, either on your own health or on tliat of 3'our fam
THE HOUSE: SITUATION, ETC. 13
ily. Whether palace or hut, brown-stone front or simple
wooden cottage, the law is the same. As a rule, the
ordinary town or village is built upon low land, because it
is easier to obtain a water-supply from wells and springs.
In sui.h a case, even where the climate itself may be
tolerabl;^ health}-, the drainage from the hills at hand, or
the nearness of swamps and marshes produced by the
same cause, makes a dry cellar an impossibility ; and this
shut-in and poisonous moisture makes malaria inevitable.
The dwellers on low lands are the pill and patent-medi-
cine takers ; and no civilized country swallows the amount
of tonics and bitters consumed bj^ our own.
If possible, let the house be on a hill, or at least a rise
of ground, to secure the thorough draining-awa}' of all
sewage and waste water. Even in a swampy and mala-
rious country, such a location will insure all the health
possible in such a region, if the other conditions men-
tioned are faithfull}^ attended to.
Let the living-rooms and bedrooms, as far as may be,
have full sunshine during a part of each day ; and reserve
the north side of the house for store-rooms, refrigerator,
and the rooms seldom occupied. Do not allow trees to
stand so near as to shut out air or sunlight ; but see that,
while near enough for beauty and for shade, they do not
constantly shed moisture, and make twilight in your
rooms even at mid-da}-. Sunshine is the enemy of dis-
ease, which thrives in darkness and shadow. Consump-
tion or scrofulous disease is almost inevitable in the house
shut in by trees, whose blinds are tightly closed lest some
ray of sunshine fade the carpets ; and over and over again
it has been proved that the first conditions of health are,
abundant supply of pure air, and free admission of sun-
14 THE HOUSE: SITUATION, ETC.
Page 4
Presented as published in 1881. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Inconvenience can, in most cases, be remedied ; but unhealthfulness or unwholesomeness of location, very seldom : and therefore, in the beginning, I write that ignorance is small excuse for error, and that every one able to read at all, or use common-sense about any detail of life, is able to form a judgment of what is healthful or unhealthful. If no books are at hand, consult the best physician near, and have his verdict as to the character of the spot in which more or less of your life in this world will be spent, and which has the power to affect not only your mental and bodily health, but that of your children. Because your fathers and mothers have been neglectful of these considerations, is no reason why you should continue in ignorance ; and the first duty in making a home is to consider earnestly and intelligently certain points.
Four essentials are to be thought of in the choice of any home ; and their neglect, and the ignorance which is the foundation of this neglect, are the secret of not only the chronic ill-health supposed to be a necessity of the American organization, but of many of the epidemics and mysterious diseases classed under the head of ' ' visitations of Providence."
These essentials are : a wholesome situation, good ventilation, good drainage, and a dry cellar. Rich or poor, high or low, if one of these be disregarded, the result will tell, either on your own health or on that of your fam
ily. Whether palace or hut, brown-stone front or simple wooden cottage, the law is the same. As a rule, the ordinary town or village is built upon low land, because it is easier to obtain a water-supply from wells and springs. In such a case, even where the climate itself may betolerably healthy-, the drainage from the hills at hand, or the nearness of swamps and marshes produced by the same cause, makes a dry cellar an impossibility ; and this shut-in and poisonous moisture makes malaria inevitable. The dwellers on low lands are the pill and patent-medicine takers ; and no civilized country swallows the amount of tonics and bitters consumed bj^ our own.
If possible, let the house be on a hill, or at least a rise of ground, to secure the thorough draining-away of all sewage and waste water. Even in a swampy and malarious country, such a location will insure all the health possible in such a region, if the other conditions mentioned are faithfully attended to.
Let the living-rooms and bedrooms, as far as may be, have full sunshine during a part of each day ; and reserve the north side of the house for store-rooms, refrigerator, and the rooms seldom occupied. Do not allow trees to stand so near as to shut out air or sunlight ; but see that, while near enough for beauty and for shade, they do not constantly shed moisture, and make twilight in your rooms even at mid-day. Sunshine is the enemy of disease, which thrives in darkness and shadow. Consumption or scrofulous disease is almost inevitable in the house shut in by trees, whose blinds are tightly closed lest some ray of sunshine fade the carpets ; and over and over again it has been proved that the first conditions of health are, abundant supply of pure air, and free admission of sun-