Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-11-11

Il 00-S ~ AICl4edtS viz
for procuring it. The larger build
ings in the cities and villages, such
as have been built since the atten-
ton of the people has been drawn to
the evils of bad air, are provided
with means of ventilation more or
less perfect. The country school
houses and the older buildings of
the towns have no adequate provi-
sion for it; in scarcely one building
in fifty of this class has any thought
whatever been given to the subject.
To the mass of people all air is the
same. They can sometimes see the
impurities in water, and they can
often taste those in food and drink
and thus they are sometimes enabled
to avoid what is injurious to health;
but they have not SO far cultivated
their perceptions as to discover i'm
purities quite as dangerous in the air
they breathe. A writer on the SUBJ
ject of hygiene says that if air once
breathed came from the lungs deeply
colored though containing no worse
poison than it now has, people would
show an unwillingness to breathe it
that would soon result in some
means of ventilation in all places
where people congregate. To the
prevailing ignorance and indiffer
ence of the people is due the con
struction of SO many school-houses
wholly destitute Of the appliances
for securing the necessary quantity
Of pure air. To one who knows
anything of the deplorable effects
Of living i'll an atmosphere charged
with carbonic acid gas, and the
organic products of respiration, this
condition of things seems one of the
worst evils of our school system. Is
there no remedy for it? No, there
is no EFFEcTUAL remedy short of a
total remodeling Of most Of the
buildings, and then, after this
change, the employment of teachers
who understand something of the
laws which govern the movements
of the atmosphere. But there is a
partial remedy in every case, and
its application must depend almost
wholly upon the teacher. Where
no provision is made for warming the
pure air that is supplied the problem
consists in admitting cold air III
such a way that no pupil shall be
exposed to a draft or an atmosphere
whose temperature is too low for
safety. On most days and in most
rooms ingenuity will SO far solve the
problem as to partially compensate
for the defects in the construction of
buildings.
The direction of the wind must
be observed. 1t is very rarely that
a window can be opened on the
windward side without danger to
se...>s of Cho pupiIo. THO opening "f
windows on the leeward side will
not produce a rapid change in the
air of the room, but the movement
will be as rapid as is consistent with
safety, owing to the fact that on
windy days the crevices on the
windward side let in enough cold air
to supply the place Of that which
passes out through the open win
dows. 1t makes little difference
whether windows are opened at the
bottom or top in most cases. When
cold air is admitted to a warm room,
it Immediately and invariably finds
its way to the floor. Ifany teacher,
ignorant of the laws of gravity and
the effect of heat upon gases, is dis
posed to doubt this statement, he
needs TO devote but a few minutes to
experiments in his school room on
cold day to be convinced Of its
truth. The only advantage secured
by opening the upper sash IS the
possibility Of slightly modifying the
temperature of the cold air by a
somewhat larger admixture with the
air of the room before it comes III
contact with the occupants. As the
air of a room warns from the TOP
downward, an opening at the tops o.
windows on the leeward side, pro.
vided there is any considerable In
gress of cold air, must be an effectual
preventive of the heating Of the
room, especially all that part of il
near the floor.
If there is a window at some little
distance from any occupied seat, thai
is the place for the admission of the
cold air. If the stove can be placed
near such window it can be made
tolerable ventilator on those day:
when the wind is in the right direc
ton to blow directly into this win
dow.
The recesses and intermissions
when pupils leave the room. afford
favorable opportunity for getting
supply of pure air. If on accoun
of weather, pupils remain in a
these times, they may, by engag
ing in vigorous calisthenics, avoid
all danger from opening the win
dows. This exercise should continu'
for a short time after the closing o