The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-11-13
pr,,d;np and Health.


). ,,s convention In Baltimore, brought
AN. some very excellent papers with regard
n health and sanitary rules. One that was
read by DR.. Esaa w. KCsr. Of New Jersey,
an The construction OF houses and the best
manner Of ventilating and heating them,
contained excellent suggestions. We think
80 highly Of these that We exsra't i'oefasiy
froa, DR.. HuSr's paper.
The most important part Of house IS Tue
hasesoent. he builds we'll who makes his
basement dry and comfortable -prooi against
dsmpness, with plentiful supply OF pure
civ Dr. HUNT thus describes how the Base
rnent Of house should be constructed lot
IN. preseryatiop OF both health ana comfort:
A.. ,,~,,,c,ne 10 be observed In the work OF
n.s,cson was that all special arrangements fer
Sea,ing or ventilation arc t ,ha nanse itseIy
tse one prssihie apparatus for health: Constrnc:
nn ocatity. soil and material must all 6e decided
uo n turn e,o sS s ire is usually laid come
W. considered I he first point TO De considered
In sssnf ssen q that Re
Vdirtsara his impostsns essential leads s as
York and oi6er crest cirtes, TO The most fata TN
IesaIts. Drains should be arranged upder the
building, outside and aTonpd ths wsus nn
shaded rs 20 countersct the additional moisture
which eccnpaney entails up9n IT. 81; AS s all, IF
EVAPORATION or the chief regulator OF heat and
moisture, series OF air tubes or pneumatic pipes,
snss rs 20 admit nothing bur air, have been found
10 e powerful aajunc's in securing greater circula-
ton aud dryn The walls OF SUP. cear or oase
rnant shouId theoretically. be porous throughout,
INT as this presupposes degree OF terror GRAIN
age which Is 100 often wanting, the plan common;
DOW OF water from the outside aIasonry 10 answer
to ontside soaxage, and be concreted and grou!ed
viii, the most impe netrabe Of cement Limestone,
VAL .bs Is ou see Th
answer If the outside OF Inc onter wal ro,n SO
impervious as a 10 Se space "A With Tltred
IPh;n ,, sas The I porcsy Of the later afford
ing space for air. while an extra septum was
the basement should be croucreted In the same man
ner and for the same purpose our ehlet dep%s anu
Taised from the corcrete bottom so as to allow air
circulation from the outside by ajr-aoxcs or tunes
beneath and wsanscSns u Oh e.ra inroduc,ion of
air or sunlight from the top or no OF INC ooA as WIZ
compensate for It's exclusion az 1ae siusS: ers Sss
apertures occur no surplus water falls from roof or
outside and that surface wet be carried OF by nag
cipp and grading inclsniDg from the house. AS oy
the Laws 81 absorption AND capillary attraction the
moisture In The ground wall will rise above the
ged to the height Of the basement easement
windows should be capacious, aud reach nearly 20
the Ceiling and be capable ei being ELMER r or
fee. in the clear between The floor ana ceiling OF he
Basement, and least half OF this space should De
above The ground level.
What an admirable part of the house
would be basement so built! DR.. HUNT
proceeds to say that inside walls should be
constructed so as to compensate for the I'M
peryiable outside wall by aiding in securing
evaporation and dryness. The chief requi-
sites of these walls should be " non"absorb-
ence of moisture" and smootbuess of sur
face, so that the settling Of dust and light
floating particles may be avoided. Lime.
and.hair mortar is good; but DR.. HUNT says
that the hair at present furnished is some
times so laden with organic matter as to call
for substitute. Medical records show that
hospital walls have furnished forty per cent.
of this matter, and builders should be care
sul. If we depend on hard walls,
they should either be painted or
so smooth as to admit Of washing. DR..
HUM impresses upon all builders the i'm
portance Of finishing walls with the best ma.
terials, aud In such way that they may be
cIeapsed by rubbing with moist cloths or
washed. He warns all against the danger Of
impairing the sanitary condition of house
through the gathering of dust and floating
particles upon the walls. He cites cases
where improperly constructed walls have
been receptacles Of contagion.
DIR. Hunt admonishes builders against i'm
properly constructed cross-walls. When ex.
tended 30 as to impair ventilation and make
dark corners and close smelling intervals
they are very bad. A certain, steady move
ment 81 air is necessary 10 the house. 1t is
ascertained that air must move at the rate OF
twenty inches per second before it can be
perceived by the senses; and there are many
degrees between that and stagnation.
DR.. HUNT, after this statement, says what
is both striking and true: :" Mere diffusion
sin close apartments is but an intermingling
8. of foul gases unless there is additional ac-
"tivi,y of motion" Exactly! There
should be no spots of stagnant air or dead
ends " Of fou! air. 1t is most Objectionable
tina. plan which intercepts air from outside
to outside by two impervious walls, and
then interposes double walls with closets be-
tween. One remedy that is recommended is
excellent, and that is transom-windoWs
opposite each other. Nor should the
basement ball be the darkest in the
house, as is generally the case. Light
and air are life itself. Insert glass in the
bail.door, defended If necessary with iron
bars; front and rear doors should be pro-
yided with trapsoms. Health must have
light. DR.. HUNT is especially urgent for a
good supply Of light and air in the basement,
for thence arises the greater part Of the sup
ply of air for the upper apartments. House.
keepers cannot be too particular about max
ing it pure. 80
With reference to proper material, and the
proper building of outside walls, We find the
following valuable hints:
In the composition of the outside walls the great
deeideratam Is to secure building material that air
asr asd warmer and YET TO allow
s,erceprible ou,er currents Of air TO dow through H.
out usually and fortunately for the public fail In
doing so. When, by the use Of the densest granite
aud the closely.frffng iron Stag, they succeed In
Complaining their object no amount ofinside shafts
or heaters, or window ventilation, can make the
structure 81 % live In.
The Doctor gives preference to mortar ap6
brick as a building material and for inside
flush iine-and-ssnd mortar on dry ceiling
iith, the laths being not less than quarter
&c on inch apart This he SAWS helns the