The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-08-10

SECURE oil co pure luSlUo lOOIu DIS
that which is outside; bat only air
which shall contain a certain
amount of impurity, for strictly
speaking all the air with which your
ventilating appliances are to deal |
contains impurities. Some of these
impurities are more dangerous than /
others and are less affected by
dilution. Offensive and poisonous
gas OF all kinds, as sulphur
eted hydrogen and carbonic
oxide can be diluted by fresh air |
just as solutions of arsenic CT
Strynhnine can be diluted by pure
water, until m0uthful of such air
or. fluid is neither hurtfEl nor un-
pleasant.
It should be better understood by |
the great mass of the people that
the dangerous impurity in some air,
for instance. from a sewer or col |
lection Of filth, is not necessarily a |
gas, and does not possess any very |
marked or unpleasant OdOr. Ac-l
cording to the latest developments |
ia sanitary science, the wort inn
purities consist of very minute par
ticles of organic matter which are
capable of producing disease when
introduced into the human system.
These particles are capable of
growth and multiplication under
favorable circumstances.
The process of diluting foul air
which contains particles termed
participate cO7ltGgiG cannot render
the air certainly harmless, for no
amount Of fresh air can dilute one
of these particles, and a single one.
may produce disease.
You may say, that being the case.
of what use is ''goOd" ventilation ?
l answer, all that good ventilation
can affect is, that in a certain air
space there shall be but one or two
such particles instead of one hun
dred, and thus the probability of
creating infection by exposure for a
limited period to the cOntagiOn
NAV be much diminished.
You may perhaps ask can [ not
prevent the entrance of these germs
into the place of habitatiOn, the
dwelling or the assembly hall? l
answer, as to the assembly
hall. These particles are carried
there in the clothing of
the assembled people, all forms of
disease germs there comingle, and
your only safety lies in the dilution
of vitiatef air by constant intro
ductlOn of fresh pure air, thus rem
dering the participate cOntagia less
to the given space.
AS to private dwellings, there
need be little fear f.Om the intro
ductiOn of disease germs in clothing,
unless it be they are carried from
the viliated air of a church or
theatre; but by far the worst form
of danger from lack of ventilation
may be directly traced to the fault
of the plumber.
Ia a residence here IL Salt Lake
City Of one year l Fave yet to find
ten dwelling IN which [ would con-
slider the plumbing fixtures perfectly
safe. &. vast majority of the dwell
lings are little better than the cess
pool of which they form a part, owing
to defective and criminal plumbing.
But as l purpOsed only 10 treat O.
the ventilation of buildings. and as
your space, Mr.. Editor, is only ex-
tended through courtesy, | must for
bear touching a subject Of equal
importance, namely: sanitation as
Iapplied to modern plumbing fix
lures.
j Many physicians hold that eight
fparts OF carbOnic acid gas in 10000
parts of air contained in a room,
renders that room CLOSE" causes
! faintness in persons Of low vitality,
land frequently produces lasting in
Jury. But 10000 IS very small
IadmiHture compared to the proper
ton so frequently found in practice
In your own public halls, unless fig
ures are deceptive, that amount Of
carbOlic acid gas is just doubled.
Ventilation depends upon heat to
a great extent, for by the aid Of heat
we are enabled to produce the
requisite motion for carrying out
vitiated air and introducing
= pure air in It's stead. But in
: order to obtain the necessary heat
to do this do not imagine that com
mon sense requires that there shall
be a fire In each room with its con-
sequent sulphurOus smells, ashes
: and filth. The fire is not needed in
each room; they only require the
: heat conveyed there. Various
methods to the attainment Of this
end are in vogue, none, however
Iaffording the points of advantage
and comfort attained by q proper
Introduction Of steam heating ap-
paratus, which are automatic, eco
nOmical and safe, aff0rding uneX-
! celled facilities for promoting q
rational system Of ventilation and
; plenty Of pure air, 50 poorly apPre-
ciated
Respectfully yours.
J. GORNLY.