National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-04-10

strike telling blow ut that great universal evil
namely poisoning by impure air-we would do
much 10 save life. Unvcntl0ted and overorowdcd
workshops, public buildings, and schools are the
nurseries of stumous diseases which sap the life
and strength 1.-THE community"
DR.. Parkcs mentions remarkable circumstance
illustrative of the connection of Impure air and
consumption. In the badly ventilated prison of
LcOpOldstadt, Vienna, 5li per 900 died Of con-
sumption while in the well ventilated house Of
correction i'm London 40 per 1000 only died Of
this disease.
In Dr. Guy'sevldcnce before the Health of Towns
Common In London he made some striking state
mIentS as to the journeymen printers Of that CITY
He divided them into three classes. The first
class consisted of men who worked In rooms where
they had less than 500 cubic feet of air space per
head. OF these l2l8 per cent had spit blood and
like proportion had been subject to catarrh. The
second class comprised men who had between 5OO
and 600 feet of breathing space each. ana among
class comprised men who worked In shops having
more than 600 feet of air space per capita, ana
among these per cont, had suffered from splitting
blood and only 2 per cent from catarrh.
The testimony of the most able physicians of this
and other countries; the result of inquiries as TO
men of the armies and navics of the world the re-
ports of hospitals for consumption and of commit
tees appointed to make special Investigations as to
jails warehouses, and schools all in various de-
grecs point TO this one conclusion.
wINDERs BUILDING.
This building, situated on the corner of Seven
teenth and streets northwest, owned by the Gov
| ernment, and occupied by the Second Auditor and
| some officers of the War Department, although in
somewhat better condition than the Treasury Dc
partmcnt, can by no means he termed satisfactory
rs regards ventilation, heating, &c. The air in
rooms on the upper floors was decidedly close at
the time of inspection and temperature much too
high, The necessity for econOmizng fuel has been
one Of the great drawbacks against ventilation in
tenements, schools, &c, but this cannot be urged
in the case of Government buildings, as majority
| of them are perfect hot houses at all times.
The gentleman in charge of this building is an
engineer and is firmly convinced that thorough
ventilation Is secured. And must say that his sys-
| TEN of getting a large quantity of moderately
heated dir into the rooms Is vastly better than thnt
| of getting small quantity parched. think II |
remember rightly. he estimated his supply Rt 5000
| cubic feet per minute. But, Notwithstanding this
fact air in many rooms in the upper stories was far
| from pure, and can only say to him with BaylisS
TO remove impure air and that, with the whole vol
ume of the atmosphere existing all sides, pres
sure equal to about fourteen pounds TO the square
inch 1t is as useless to pump fresh air into build
| ing as II Is to pump water down HILL"
The water closets and soil pipes should also be
ventilated, and better supply of water be secured.
| GOVERNMENT PRINTING-oFF1CE.
This immense workshop the largest of It's kind in
| existence, employing iGS persons, and running
| hundreds of machines of various kinds, was found
| in very imperfect sanitary condition.. Like the
other public buildings the windows and doors are
expected to accomplish the ventilation and no pro-
vision is made for isolation of specially offensive
| branches of the trades pursued.
| The following table gives the information rela-
tive to dimensions of rooms, persons employed &c:
Government PriliHg-0fce,