Health and Education

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Charles Kingsley. Health and Education

THE SCIENCE OF HEALTH

THE TWO BREATHS. A LECTURE DELIVERED AT WINCHESTER, MAY 31, 1869

THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE

NAUSICAA IN LONDON: OR, THE LOWER EDUCATION OF WOMAN

THE AIR-MOTHERS

THRIFT. A LECTURE DELIVERED AT WINCHESTER, MARCH 17, 1869

THE STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. A LECTURE DELIVERED TO THE OFFICERS OF THE ROYAL ARTILLERY, WOOLWICH

ON BIO-GEOLOGY. AN ADDRESS GIVEN TO THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY OF WINCHESTER

HEROISM

SUPERSTITION. A LECTURE DELIVERED AT THE ROYAL INSTITUTION, LONDON

SCIENCE: A lecture delivered at the Royal Institution

GROTS AND GROVES

GEORGE BUCHANAN, SCHOLAR

RONDELET, THE HUGUENOT NATURALIST9

VESALIUS THE ANATOMIST

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Ladies,—I have been honoured by a second invitation to address you here, from the lady to whose public spirit the establishment of these lectures is due.  I dare not refuse it: because it gives me an opportunity of speaking on a matter, knowledge and ignorance about which may seriously affect your health and happiness, and that of the children with whom you may have to do.  I must apologize if I say many things which are well known to many persons in this room: they ought to be well known to all; and it is generally best to assume total ignorance in one’s hearers, and to begin from the beginning.

I shall try to be as simple as possible; to trouble you as little as possible with scientific terms; to be practical; and at the same time, if possible, interesting.

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The first question in ventilation, therefore, is to get this carbonic acid safe out of the room, while it is warm and light and close to the ceiling; for if you do not, this happens—The carbonic acid gas cools and becomes heavier; for carbonic acid, at the same temperature as common air, is so much heavier than common air, that you may actually—if you are handy enough—turn it from one vessel to another, and pour out for your enemy a glass of invisible poison.  So down to the floor this heavy carbonic acid comes, and lies along it, just as it lies often in the bottom of old wells, or old brewers’ vats, as a stratum of poison, killing occasionally the men who descend into it.  Hence, as foolish a practice as I know is that of sleeping on the floor; for towards the small hours, when the room gets cold, the sleeper on the floor is breathing carbonic acid.

And here one word to those ladies who interest themselves with the poor.  The poor are too apt in times of distress to pawn their bedsteads and keep their beds.  Never, if you have influence, let that happen.  Keep the bedstead, whatever else may go, to save the sleeper from the carbonic acid on the floor.

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