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This article is about the actual air at night. For the song by Teddy Geiger, see Underage Thinking.
Prior to the nineteenth century, night air was widely considered dangerous in America and some other western cultures. Based on “zymotic” theory, people believed vapors called “miasmas” rose from the soil and spread diseases. Miasmas came from rotting vegetation and foul water—especially in swamps and urban ghettos.
Many people and especially the weak or infirm avoided breathing night air by going indoors and keeping windows and doors shut.
In addition to ideas associated with zymotic theory, there was also a general fear that cold or cool air spread disease.
The fear of night air gradually disappeared as understanding about disease increased as well as with improvements in home heating and ventilation.
Particularly important was the understanding that mosquitoes (active at night) spread malaria rather than miasmas. Wire window screens grew in popularity in the late nineteenth century, allowing night air to enter the home without the mosquitoes.
See also
References
- Baldwin, Peter C. "How Night Air Became Good Air, 1776-1930" in Environmental History, July 2003
- Cipolla, Carlo M. Miasmas and disease: Public health and environment in the pre-industrial age. Yale University Press, 1992. ISBN 0-300-04806-8.
External links
- Early theories of diseases (includes miasma theory)
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 11 April 2008, at 01:14.
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