Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-03-24
RI0HrHoMD. MAROH a.
THE UNIYERSIrY

with his views as to the probable c,n.s rS ,hs
sickness at tho University The tone and temner
OF the article. whilst they denote the friendly fse1
ings OF its author towards this Institution and n.
a sufficient guarantee Of his candor, arc Also from
these very circumstance, more likely to attract
attention to the suggestions offered and to induce
presumption Of their correctness. II becomes
important, therefore, that his views, IL erroneous
the more particularly, If they be calculated 10
do injury to the Institution-be noticed to the ana
that the public mind be disabused Of the upfavor.
able and unjust impressions which they may have
created. '
The writer commences. by chasing the conj.c.
turai causes OF the epidemic, at the UniverSitv
under three heads Its location; its medical po
nee; and the plan and structure of iis buildingA-
Tie then proceeds to enquire, to which of these
causes 1t should be assigned: To the first and e.
cond, he demonstrates very satisfactorilv thaf; n
is in no way attributable. In his remarLs ~, ma
part OF the subject, he describes in eloyyinc fan
guage, the saluhrity of our climate, and the 70.
mantle beauty Of our scenery and country: am,
ne pays handsome and justly merited compii-
ment' to the zeal AMI ability Of the Chairman and
Professors of tho University. In all this, entirr.
ly concur with him. Passing to the rem,ininv
imputed cause Of disease, the plan and strueture
OF tue buildings, the writer avows his belief, that
II Is the true one, and by an elaborate argument
endeavors to prove thatit is so. arm entirely sat
ished that he is mistaken; that he labored under
erroneous impressions as 10 facts; and that his nsa
sonins has, consequently, partaken Of tho defect
L Aua
can. ~
The reasons assigned in support of the WRITER,
opinion are first, the want Of ventilation in the
dornitories; and next. the decaying plank with
which they are covered. The former, am per
suaded, has no foundation in fact. We are n.
formed, in his detailed description of the buildngs
that tae lawn, ON each side of which is range Of
pavillIons and dormitories, is on an elevation ar
tends from North to South is open in the latter d.
ree"on' mat the gardens lying behind these ran.
tha suaIl,
on the slope OF hill; and that each dormitorv Ia,
door on the lawn. and window opposite I'm,
door How, under these circumstances. there can
be any deficiency Of air, am at loss to conceive.
indeed, II must be obvious to every one that
room fronting lawn, about rs yards wide. whjrh
is entirely unobstructed in one direction and brt
partially INSTRUCTED in the opposite (the RotunJa
NOT extending more than about third across it1
anu 81, having door on one side and large window
on the other, so far from being uncomortablv Glove
and confined, must be perfectly accessible to GIee
currents % air, and cannot but admit free erru
laton. Nor do the irregular masses of buiIJ-
hgs on the lawn, the portcos in 'front.' or the brlck
walls IN the rear, have the effect supposed of me-
venting the circulation of the air mot The e.,
because the nearest in front are rs yarIs and oh
iiqueiy to the South, there are none; and 10 the
North, only the Rotunda, which constitutes hui n
partial obstruction in that direction;-not the sc.
cond, because, tho they afford protection 10 the
dormiores, from the heat of the sun and the vio.
ience OF storms, SO far from obstru ting the Iree
yes, they seem peculiarly to favor and excite their
e. circulation; there being almost always, even in
.n hottest woather, breeze blowing up or down
the arcade, on which the doors of the dormitorisx
open;-and, certainly, not the third, because. unon
'ne WRITER'S own showing, these walls are on The
| slope Of the hill, and, therefore, below the win.
dows OF me dormtories. 1t may be said that these
remarks only apply to the middle and not IN ,he
TWO lower rangesoi dormitories. But these. IL il
70 De observed, have no obstruction whatsvsr in
front; and tho the walls in their rear. wond ita
gentle hull or cluster Of trees break the farce'
OF hurricane, they present no impeachment ~ y
,ree circulation OF air Accordingly, we find that
oy many OF the Students, thew are nreferred ~
'"ose on The lawn; fact which would SCARCELY.
EXIST all tree circulation thro them were cfH.c
tuaiiy intercepted, as the writer imagines Among
me various objections which I have heard advanc
ed, to the plan and arrangement Of the bui;ngs A.
tn" University, and 10 the dormtories particularly
this. oil want OF air, has never, that remembe,
been suggested, but by this writer have beer
N men, ,I al all seasons OF the year. have fire.
qne niIy conversed with those who occunied then
on the subject OF their construction and II had ne
yer occurred TO me, or been mentioned by them
Ii may be- that their ceilings are warm a, the cIosa
o. a MOI summers day, from the action of the sun
on their roofs; this might happen, tho each were
seated alone the summit of mountain With -
cess TO air on every side
suppose tiie ROOMS for the Students instead If
being so arranged, had been in large buildings.-
IL evident that by far the greater part of them
ana d'of opening on passage, which, as not
unirequenty constructed admits no current NJ air
10 circulate thTo' il; and which, however construct
eu could NOT admit as free circulation az the ar.
cades Ut the University. I am somewhat surpris.
81, mar II did not occur TO your evidently inteIl-
gent correspondent, 10 compare the ven,iI,,;nn III
'he University, with that of cities generally IL
would have been somewhat difficult to instance
one, IN which the causes he assigns fot tho on,
s"ucuon OF circulation in the former, do not exisk
w. an Infinitely greater degree; and utterlv ;mnoa
sioie 70 name one, in which, independently of his
H. fi,.. Is Us Tee circulation Of air, as at
the University. Yet, have never known IN the
most crowded cities, an epidemic fever AT mi, sea.
son, ascrbed to want of air
put ADMIT, what is utterly denied and no one
That ever heard Of. but Civis. asserts. thar the
ohversityis not sufficiently ventilated, is Il rea-
sohap,e 10 oeheve, for moment. that that csuso
Wouid nave operated TO produce disease. in the
dePth OF wlnter-a winter TOO, of such S,rpassinq
severity as this has been! IT, since the com.
mehcemeDt oil the present year Ciyis has fonnd
II conducive to comfort or health, to be accessi-
pie 10 iree currents OF air. | can only saw. thai
views. 10 =" O1'
The second reason assigned for In. o,;,,;,, ~
vahceh, The quantity of decayiuq plank eovcrinz
the HAT roofs OF the dormiiories beI;.ya 4, Sc
even iess substantial, IL that were possbIe tban
me one which L have examined. I'm The 1irst
pace, ovisis greatly mistaken in his estimate of
.. "s qu1 ,y iaking the entire surface of the
ou' Iohg INES oil fiat roof ~ referred 10 by him
mere n are not more than forty thousand so,,aye
Iees Oh nat root TN the whole state hs o,,ap,j.
y, nVm actual measurement and caIcuIa,ion In I
"n'ch 'here could have been no other error tbsn
"hat might have arisen from the estimating with.
vu' measurement, the allowance 10 be made for
'he breaks IN those lines by the payiliots botel,
and alleys. This, however. must he loo ;nconsi5,
cradle, materially 10 vary tbs rss,,t M ,t,;,