Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-05-02
Ventilation of Houses.

=" It's indoors as kills half the people.
There amt nothing like fresh air. I'm
in the woods all day, so ] gets the fresh
air, and the fresh air is the life"
Few can spend their days in the
woods as did the gamekeeper. An in
door life is the fate of majority of
men and nearly all women, but fortu.
nately there is no necessity for half of
them being killed in consequence. If
they can't go out to inhale the fresh air
of field and forest, then the fresh air
must be brought indoors, for that life
and health depend upon the quality OF
the air We breathe there can be no ques-
ton. With every inspiration we make
the air is deprived of portion of its
oxygen, (about per cent the vitaliz-
ing principle. Air once breathed,
therefore, has less vital power. 1t is
not only deteriorated in this respect,
but is positively vitiated by the car
bonic acid a to per cent. with which
it is mixed in passing through the
lungs. This gas is food for plants, but
death to animals. 1t is the same gas
which is generated by having charcoal
in confined room, and which has
caused the death of so many persons.
If the atmosphere of a room contains 2
per cent, of carbonic acid, it will cause
stupor and death in few hours. In
less quantity, such as one often finds
in close room with few persons in
it, and more frequently in a crowded
school or church, it occasions dizziness,
headache and prostration. No chemi'
cal tests are required to ascertain
whether the air of room is pure. The
flushed faces and dull eyes tell the
story.
Another cause of the impurity of the
air in our houses is the consumption OF
oxygon by stoves and lamps. Our
fathers heated their rooms with open
fire. places, and lighted them with tai
low dips. The former carried all the
carbonic acid, generated by the combus-
ton of the wood and tallow, up chin
ney, and gave the best kind of ventila-
ton to their houses. Indeed, the tai
low dip generated as little gas as it did
light but with our modern kerosene
lamps or gas burners for Light and
close stoves and furnaces for heat, the
amount of carbonic gas generated IS
fearfully large, and unless some means
are adopted for its removal and the in
PRODUCTION of fresh air, must undermine
the health of oil who breathe it. The
furnace may be furnished with tubes
for the introduction of outdoor air into
its air chamber, but by contact with
hot iron it parts with some of its oxy-
gen, and is damaged for respiration.
Every one can satisfy himself of the
truth of this by standing over furnace
register and breathing the hot air as it
comes up. It is suffocating and unsat
isfactory. When mingled with the air
of room it is more tolerable, but the
whole must be more or less impure.
Still another cause for the impurity
of the air in O close room is the waste
animal matter which is constantly being
Il iscbarged from the body of even
healthy persons through the lungs and
pores of the skin. This passes off in
insensilAe vapor, and in ordinary cir
cumstances is not noticed by the occu-
pants OF the room, but il a person comes
in from fresh outdoor air, he is very apt
to perceive it, and feel little disgust
il not nausea. It is always more or less
SoAhE Ahto - Sloop
bed room that has been occupied dur.
ing the night by one or more persons.
The greater the number of occupants
the greater the amount of this dead ami
NAL matter which must be as contami
mating to healthy persons as are rotten
apples to sound fruit. Old persons
throw off more Of this decayed animal
substance than do the young and Wig
orous, but at all ages more Or less es-
capes from the body, and must poison
the air of room unless good ventila-
ton is provided. In case of fevers and
other infammatory diseases the amount
of this waste matter is fearfully large,
and must breed sickness and death I'M
less special pains are taken to havs o,
constant supply of fresh air. .,,
!. In farm houses, certainly in those in
the cellars Of which ARE stored large
q uantities of vegetables, the air is pol,
luted more or less by decaying vegeta-
tion. 1t is not necessary that the cab
bages, turnips and potatoes. should be-
manifestly rotten in order to yitiate the
air of house. When piled together,
as they usually are in a cellar, there must
be more or less fermentation, and. this
implies incipient decomposition. The
family breathing this contaminated air
day, after day may be iso accustomed to
it as not to be aware of its presence, but
strangers perceive it instantly. AS
spring approaches and vegetables sprout
in the cellar, the air of farm house Of
ten becomes intolerable to delicate OIL
factory nerves. There can be no growth
of new shoots without corresponding
decay of the old tubers. and the decay
of vegetation istas productive of disease
as is the decay of animal matter. ''''
!, Not to speak Of sinks, cssspools, and
other causes of contaminated air in aud
around houses, the question occurs
How can good ventilation be secured ?
If a. house hasa chimney built from the
cellar bottom, as every chimney should
be, this is the natural outlet for all
During cold weather when |
fires are necessary, there must be q
strong draft Of hot air up the chimneys
and every occupied room, either living |
or sleeping, should be furnished with |
4 register opening into the chimney,
the size depending upon the size of the |
room and number Of occupants. If