The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-06-29
DUST IN The HOUSE
The Dangers to Which We Are
Constantly Exposed.
HOW THEY MAY BE AVOIDED
Curtains, Draperies, Wall Hangings, Lambre
quins, and the Dust They Gather
The Use of Ammonia.
HOW THEY MAY BE AVOIDED
or TIE SUNDAY HERAnp.l


In sE5lormor article, which recently APP
peared in The HERALD columns, the sub
iects of dusty streets and the physiological
effects of dust-laden air generally were
briefly treated Another topic, closely
allied to the one just named, ard certainly
not below it in Importance, embraces the
nature and effects of the dust of houses.
The air without being so heavily charged
with solid particles, much of the suspended
material must of necessity find its way
within doors. but besides that, the air of
rooms contains much dust which is of a
kind peculiar to the house. The familiar
observation and oft-quoted proof is appli-
cable here by way of illustration-note the
path OF a sunbeam within a partially dark
ened room; along the lire of light innum
cradle particles are seen, rising, sinking.
with ceaseless motion-ali made plain to
our gaze by that powerful analyst, the solar
beam. We need not hesitate in concluding
that dust particles are distributed through
out the room; certainly they are not
brought into the room by the sunbeam, and
are not confined to the narrow space which
forms the temporary path of the light
A query as to what this dust consists of
will probably suggest itself next The
writer has, on several occasions, collected
and examined the floating matter from the
atmosphere OF inhabited rooms in this
region land though the experiment was in no
way novel or original with himself he pre-
fers to state the results of his own tests to
quoting from the records of foreign investi-
cations.
1ir1np mt hn Iuc+ oil of
our homes, the following will be found l.:
Sand and other mineral fragments, doubt
lessly debris from the dusty streets; occa-
sioually crystals of salt are discernibie,
| these coming, perhaps, from the kitchen
and pantry where salt is in such common
use, but also originating in part from the
| perspiratory eXcretions of the skins of the
| inmates; finely divided carbon, as SCOT.
| lampblack, and coal dust are rarely absent
fbres of cotton and wool, and bits of hair
| from animal and human bodies, and beauti-
full scales of butterflies and moths-these,
probably, coming from the outside: broken
| bits of straw and epithelial scales from the
Skin and lung passages of the inmates are
easily found. Other observers have re
ported in addition to these, shells of dia-
| toms and desmids-wondrously ninute
plants-also starch grains of many kinds
and the spores of various kinds of mildews
and molds-fungi, as such tiny plants are
| calied-as occurring in the air of rooms A
rather extensive array, is true, and when
we consider that these floating legions oil
particles are likely to be taken into the
passages of our bodies through the pro
cesses of respiration, the subject becomes
one of impressive interest
A well reputed authority on sanitary
matters says, regarding the dust of rooms
sit is thus seen to consist of organic refuse
| which is more or less putreScent; its pres
| ence in the air assists in the production Of
the low state of health so common to the
occupants of dirty and over-crowdeC
| houses.n
1t is, of course, impossible to prevent the
! production of dust within our homes; thu
necessary wear of domestic operations will
] constantly give rise to detached particles
and as this household dust is so largely
augmented by that which comes from with
out, we cannot hope to fine dustless home
Our efforts would be most wisely directed
toward preventing the undue accumulation
of the dust, and to averting, as best we can
the i'll effects OF its putrefactive changes.
These important results are to be at
tanned only by thorough and systemati
cleansing. The construction of common
rooms renders them veritable dust traps
4 Uneven wall surfaces, projecting door an,
window frames, cornices, and ceiling ant
wall mouldings, prove most effective mean
of entrapping the dust particles, and o
holding them secure from the broom an,
buster OF the most energetic house maid
The floors are no less instrumental in thi
respect; crevices between the boards vii
hold immense quantities of dust, heavy an
immovable pieces of furniture render
thorough cleansing almost impossible; bu
beyond all these, carpets stand forth as tn
chief of dust catchers. Our custom O
covering every floor with woven carpets
a deplorable one. Recent investigations b.
a number of English physicians have don