New-York daily tribune., 1853-12-28

70 bfcstheis rarely regarded in their CONSTRUCTION
The air actually inhaled steals in at crevices sud cran
niss feon-like. because ii cannot be shut gut Only
tie defects Of our Architecture prevent ouJiDg oil
vitiated poisoned. mephitic atmosphere, from which
the vital element has long sEcs been exhausted Mos
men, incudlng architects, would seem ignorant OF the
fact that the atmosphere is combination OF different
gases only one Of which is wholesome and fe-giEing
and thai this Is consumed in tie lungs upon inhsi'on
leaving tie residue to be expelled As poison. The
church. lectureroOu or other structure which IS filled
OF even half filed, with human beings, and its doors
and windows closed. while express provision has
been made for its ventilation, very soon becomes
ilaugberpen in which rational being should tarry
another minute Few churches other public edihces
are sufficiently ventilated while large majority OF
them are utterly unworthy OF oers:on. and ought TO
be closed By the public authorities until they shall
have been rendered ft for their contemplated use and
10 longer nurseries Of disease and anteehambers to tae
tomb
Our manufactures are nearly all dsyrscsfal to their
owrers and architects in regard TO ventilation They
ale often divii into rooms less than ten feet high
each tIiekly slowed with human beings who breathe
and work and sweat in an atmosphere oTerheated AMI
filed with grease wool or cotton waste. leather or
cloth and the poisonous refuse expelled from human
lungs. which together enough TO ineite Plague
and sTs fact the primary cause OF nearly al the fe
vers dysenteries consumptions &C. b!>wh.ch so many
graves are peoped No factory sbo1d be permitted to
commence operations until it shall have been inspect
ted by some competent public officer and certified to
be thoroughly provided with ventilaor-not windows
which may indeed. be opened, bat in cold or storm
1ay very certainly will not bebut apertures for the IN
gress Of fresh and others FOR the egres of yated air.
both out Of the reach Of ignorance and defying the e
forts of confirmed deprayity OF the senses to close
them.
Our bedrooms are generally ct only to die in The
best are those Of the intelligent and alaent which
carefully ventilated 10 these come those of the
cabins and ruder farmhouses with an inch two Of
vacancy between the chimney and the root and with
cracks on every side through which the stars may be
seen Tie ceiled and pastered bedrooms wherein too
many Of the middle class are lodged with no other
spertures for tie ingress egress of air but the
door and windows, are horrible Nne-tenths of their
occupants rarely open window unless compelled By
excessive heat and very few careful even to leave
tie door asr To sleep in tight six6y ten bedroom
with 10 aperture admitting air is 20 court the ravages
Of pestlence and invoke the speedy advent OF death
Our Railroad cars and Steamboat berths are afro
ciously devoid of ventilation journey is taken far
more comfortably and espedtiousIy now than it was
thirty years ago. but with far greater risk and harm TO
health. There are probably ten thousand PASSENGER
cars now running in the United States, whereof not
more tlan one hundred are dece1tly supplied with
f.esh air Most of these wherein forty or fifty persons
are expected to sit all day and doze all night Oughe 20
be indicted as fit only for c0fins- The men who make
item probably know no better but those who buy and
run them have not that poor excuse. They know
that they arsunderminDg constitutions and destroying
lives they know that ample means OF arrestng these
frightfu at command yet they will not adopt
them becauEe they cost something HOW long shall
this be endured