Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-12-15

Ht 'hItAAi'ho W AidnhllH cNoNtS dhu HFt-
frames we're found to be, that they smoked, be-
cause in wooden buildings, the rooms were too
tight to supply the draughi, and again they con
sumed too much wood They too are gone, like
the Indians, an occasional slrlgglor, only, re-
naming, and we in New England, in spite of
all sorts Of warnings, Of all sorts of fatal effects
have practically come 10 the choice between
stores and furnaces. Leaving all other ques-
iions for those who believe that the earth goes
backward sometimes, let US discuss for little
space, this question between stoves and furnaces
remembering always, that we are speaking of
houses in the country. Your brick blocks in
the city, sheltered on every side, warmed from
cellar to attic day aud night, from distinct class
Of which we say nothing now, except that the
principles which govern the subjects of heat and
ventilation are aot limited in their application
to the rural districts.
Two objects are TO be kept distinctly in view
heat and fresh air. Perhaps the latter should
be put first, for without air, man will die in
about three minutes, while at the lowest tenn
perature known in this latitude, he would live
much longer than that. exposed naked, before
he would freeze to death.
There is no difficulty in generating heat G.
nough at a cheap rate. An air-tight stuve, in
an alright room will do that, but tho difficult
ty is, nobody can live in such place, thus
heated. healthy man must have about pint
Of air at breath, and he breaihes about ihous-
and times in an hour, and so he requires about
lfy-sercn hogshoads of air in twenty -four hours
And this air, once breathed, is unfit for respira-
tion, until chemically changed The pint of
air which passes from the lungs, does not re-
main in one lump by ITSELF 10 some corner of
the room, so tina, fresh quantity is taken in at
the next breath. a single Whit Of cigar.smoke
will petvade the whole room in few moments
and an old pipe zealousy worked by some yag-
abond, will polluie the atmosphere OF a whole
street, as you follow behind him. And so, del
icate ladies' and gentlemen, so fastidious that
they would faint at the idea of drinking from the
glass which another had used, sit penl up 10 an
unventila,ed room, and breaihe-whatl Real.
ly, il is too disagreeable topic to pursue so
infinitely.
The air is, as we have seen, polluted in 9th
er words, it is deprived of its oxygen, and re-
ceives in return oarbonic acid and yapor By pass
ing through the lungs in breathing.
This same poisonous carbonic acid is gener-
uted also, in large quantities, in the combustion
Of coal, of all kinds. I, is heavier At the same
temperature, than common air, aud can there
fore only ascend, through the stoye-pipe, OF
chimney, by being heated and so expanded as
10 become lighter than common air.
In the air-lght coal stoves, where the COM
bustiOn is very slow, and all The heat is sared.
the carbonic acid is saved also, and instead of
going up the chimney, rolls out into the room.
1t sometimes takes the form of carbonic oxide
gass' or, as the miners call it, coal gas, which
is, when pure. at once destructive of human life
Such fire is like pan of coal igniied in a
room without any escape for the smoke or gas
"A very common means of committing suicide.
A third method by which the air is rendered
impure and unfit for respiration, is by coming
in contact with red hot iron. Carbonic acid is
generated not only from the iron itself, but from
the particles Of dust floating in the air, which
arc consumed at once by contact with the iron
Iron contains also, usually, traces of sulphur,
phosphorus, and sometimes arsenic, all Of which
are given of by the iron at a red heat
These three methods Of corrupiing the air,
namely, by breathing, by slow combustion of
coal, including the charcoal made IN alright
Mood stoves, and by contact with red-hot iron,
are always to be kept in mind. The remedies
obviously are renHlaiion, OF the introduction Of
fresh air, the use Of stoves open, or with sutIi-
cient draught to carry of ih unhealthy fumes,
and the disuse Of all stoves and furnaces that re-
quire heating to redness.
/ have room only for few general sugges-
lions as TO ventilatinn. Ventilation implies the
introduction Of air, and its escape for it is OBJ
vlous that air cannot come iuio a room, unless
a like quantity at the same time escapes, for the
is at all times full. An stoves that have free
draught constantly carry air out of the room
through their smoke pipes.
If your room were perfectly tight, the fire
must go out, or smoke, by the air coming down
the chimney, in part. You yenilaie such rooms
by providing an opening for the air to enter the
room, and this may be olten done by iniroduc-
ing fresh air by pipe or box through the eel
'ari and admitting it by a register, under the
stove, so that it may be warmed as il enters.
If the heat comes from furnace, the fresh
air being supplied below, and heated must have
space in the room which is to be heated, or il
cannot enter. The room is therefore to be ven
iilnied by providing an opening for the escape
of the air from it, and this is done best BY a
register near the top Of the room for, although
as we have seen, the air which has been rem
dered impure by breathing, is, at the same tenn
peraiure, heavier than before, yet ii is warmed
in the same process Of breathing and so render
ed lighter. and at first ascends, as you may sec
your breath do, in any clear, cold morning. In
the case of close stoves, or air-tights, there is
no change of the air-no tendency Of the air to
enter or escape. The room soon becomes like
a corked up bottle Of the water of the Dead Sea,
unless artificial means are provided for the ad-
mission and escape Of air. A register under
the stove bringing fresh air in from without.
and register at some distant point a, the Top
of the room, for its escape, are perhaps the best
means ventilation.
! But my space, for this number, is already
consumed and the question of stoves or furnaces
4 which had intended to discuss, must rest for
IL