The Portland daily press., 1867-11-30
State Educational Convention. 81

z9 ea @ LEWISTON, Nov, q, 1867.
To the Editor of the Press: t-f '.s
AT the close of Tuesday afternoons pro-
csedings, a committee OF three was APP
pointed to memorialize the Legsl ature for
small annual appropriation for the uses OF the
''" 30 TUESDAY EVENING.
.h The exercises were opened with music on
the piano by Miss Lockwood, of Lewiston.
Then came lecture by Mr.. Hagar, Principal
of Salem Mass Normal School, on i,F l1uh ,
I3lixa eiT VENTILATION. ll=9aa .ti /
Mr.. Hagar began by saying he should con-
slider three questions and endeayor to answer
them: /, What is bad air?-2. Where is it?r-
3 How shall we get rid of it? ..,....i 4t, 4
One of the elements of bad air consists of
effete matter thrown off from the body This
is dead matter, floating in the air and comm q
in contact with live matter, gives the last a
tendency to disease. Sound apples viii deca y
more quickly when touched by rotten ones.
Prof Wyman, of Harvard University, has by
different experiments, shown that our bodies
are constantly throwing off particles of dead
flesh. He once carefully analysed some dust
which had been collecting in room for a
number of years, into which another room had
been ventilated, and found the dust to consist
ofparticles of human flesh. f lax,
Carbonic acid gas is another element of bad
air. In pure state it cannot be taken into
| the lungs, as it produces spasm of the CLOTHS
Bnt when diluted with air 1t can be breathed
and thenit poisons-slowly or quickly accord
inc to the ameunt.'aH s.f.4A ,4l.i9iTE ~
The Inhalation of this gas produces drowsi.
ness and stupidity. For this reason scholars
in an uDFentilated room are inclined to go
to sleep. In the same way church-goers arc
often made sleepy, Drowsiness in church is
often chargeable upon carbonic acid gas and moi
upon the sermon.
There is no such thing as "pure breath.
There is stream of poison passing out Of the
nouth!of every lady here. Look out, gentle
men. -Four per cent Of exhaled breath is dead
lypoison. On an average each person vitiates
ten cubic feet of air per minute. A hDr
In half an hour the pupils will vitiate all the
air in an ordinary school room. uol 5iia
Now imagine that we have an unventilated
schoolroom, and most schoolrooms are unven-
tiiated, except by the cracks left by the care
less carpenter or made by the boys-real god
sends. How many schoolrooms and sleeping
rooms are thus poisoned. No wonder there
| are headaches in school-headaches in the
| morningi h9li" tit fsi3 - o'il
Mr.. Hagar took the ground that the bad
| air is mainlytat the top of the room. When
| there are two on three rows of lights in a hall
or church it is always the upper ones which
/ rihohiunser Hdu Iesteu Gne an cue urncfe..,
parts OF az occupied room by means of thu
bellows and lime water, and found the uppel
l air the worst.
The bad air is generated in the WE'LL does
not descend into it. Before going into am un
used well, first let down lighted candle; if il
burns, all right; if not send down burn inc
| charcoal ,ior set the ali in motion. a5iI.m
| And now how shall we get rid of the
| bad air2f First, drop the windows slightly at
the top, upon opposite sides. Do not cool of
rapidly. Let the ventilation be CONSTANT
The cold air should be prevented, if possible
from falling upon the heads of the scholars
This result may be obtained in a large degree,
by having board several inches wide attach
ed to the tops of the sashes in the form of
shelyes-to those sashes which are dropped for
ventilation. These shelves will necessarily
send the current of air across the room and Sc
it will gradually diffuse and descend. ,,t,
Ia the next place, the same air should not be
heated over and over. Hence it is well to sur
round the stove, where a stove is used with
zine shield a short distance from the
stove, and leaving a place for feeding
the fire. These have a tube lead
ing from outside of the schoolhouse to
conduct cold air directly under or beside
the stove, inside of the shield In this way
o. re
the air of the school-room will be kept from
the stove; the freshly introduced air, as fast
as it is heated, will rise and difuse itself, since
the shield is only at the sides and not above
the stove. Mr.. Hagar thought the Robinson
yentilator the very best to be had 1t consists
oil two parallel tubes coming into the top of
the room from the roof of the building The two
tubes produce Counter currents of air. Out of
one goes the hot air; and down the other comes
the cold, fresh air. l4J,,.s., i ii safi,55.,,.s
Mr.. FL. said that broaalvessels of water should
be kept upon the stove, or, if furnace is used.
should be placed in the air passage. % 1881
The audience was highly pleased With Mr..
Hagar's address,. 5t +f..i,t. 5l4.,. .4-..
After the address resolutions were adopted
thanking the people of Lewiston for their hos
pitality and kindness. Nearly two hundred
teachers have received free entertainment.
All others received the thanks of the conyen.
ton who had contributed to its success-and
successful it'll has been. The Maine Normal
was commended to the friends of education.
Ihe convention adjourned with singing o Id
Hundred. safes 4,lt 4 alI,l,i .-'"-,1' = -
After adjournment an hour was spent in
p'eedsaht intercourse. 49,. i if BARLOW.