Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-06-04

Because of Initiated Air.
DR.. How ard Van Rensselaer,, of Albany,
has written an essay on Impure Air and
Ventilation of Private Dwellings," that
was awarded a prize by the New York
State Medical association. Here are some
extracts from DR.. Van Rensselaer's article:
Were people killed outright by foul air,
its dangers would be carefully guarded
against, but it's effects are slow and insidi-
Gus, and often ascribed to other causes
We are careless of its results because, as
its effect at any one time is slight, we grow
accustomed to it and disregard its risks,
and after being in its presence few min
utes our sc nses become dulled and do not
warn us of the danger
But while the immediate effects seem
trifling, yet it is true that any prolonged
vitiation of this source of supply interferes
with the proper working of our organiza-
tons and depresses our vital functions.
Statisticians have shown that of the causes
of mortality the most important and far
thest reaching is impure air.
We keep our windows closed great part
of the year--during the winter to keep out
the cold and in the heated term in sum-
mer to exclude the heat-so that the circu-
lation and renewal of air in our houses are
introduced for ventilation may be Initiated
or not, according to our surroundings; but
once in, it may become contaminated in
several ways, and unless we take special
pains to remove this foul air it rapidly &C
cumulates, becomes offensive and is men
ace to health.
The primary condition for ventilation is
| that the incoming air shall be pure; it
must be pure external atmosphere. Air
that is drawn from small, closed courts, or
from between back to back buildings, or
that has blown over refuse or that rises
from a cellar is unfit for continuous
breathing. The sun rarely or never visits
these spots and the wind gets no chance to
sweep through them. Especially bad IS
| the cellar air as cellars are apt to be damp.
moldy and dark, and are frequently pol
| luted by deciying vegetables and the ash
heap, and currents of air are constantly
passing through them from the soil below.
SO that sewer air from defective drainage in
the neighborhood may easily enter and be
sucked through the house. This danger
Is particularly great if the house is heated
by furnace whose wooden air box passes
through the cellar.
In providing inlets a number of things
have to be taken into consideration. The
tnlets must b. so placed that the air can
not blow directly on the occupants of the
ROOM and they must be of such size that
sufficient incoming air is obtained without
high velocity, for if the movement is
greater than two or three feet per second
drafts are experienced, and besides a
slow current i more favorable for uniform
diffusion than a rapid one
If it can be avoided air should not enter
through openings at the level of the floor,
as dust readily falls into the openings and
fouls the air and if the incoming air is
cooler than the temperature of the room it
chills the feet. The place of admittance of
cool air should be above the heads of the
| occupants, ano means should be taken to
diminish the current if too rapid, and the
| flow should be directed upward, as there,
meeting the warmer air of the ceiling, it
mingles with it, becomes warmer and
gradually spreads through the room. The
| external openings of the inlets should
| give on place where the air is uncontam-
| mated. They should be short and so ar
ranged that they admit of ready cleansing.
They should be numerous and small, rather
| than large and single, as they are thus less
| liable to cause drafts.
When the conditions are such that the
window cannot be freely opened, it can be
| arranged in one of several Ways to provide
sufficient fresh air. Hinckes- Birds meth
| cd consists of placing a movable block of
| wood under the entire length of the lower
window sash, thus raising the top of the
| lower sash above the bottom of the upper.
| By this procedure considerable space be-
tween the two window frames is left,
through which the incoming air freely
passes, and being impelled in an upward
| direction it causes no draft.
| In TObiniS tn ne he air from O1tSide en-
tiers through hole in the wall and is con-
| Quoted by an upright tube into the room.
| The opening of The tube is above the heads
| of the occupants, and the air escaping as
cends toward the ceiling.
Cooper's ventilator consists of series of
| apertures in window pane arranged in a
circle, which can be partially or entirely
closed by glass disk, movable on pivot,
/ with corresponding apertures. In private
houses during parties the rooms often be-
come insufferably hot and close. These
unpleasant features can to great extent
be avoided by having temporary Shering-
| ham valve, constructed of wood and can
vas and inserted above the upper sash of
the window, which is lowered for the pur-
| pose.
| The Sheringham valve consists of an
| opening through the wall for the air to
| pass, the entrance being usually guarded
by a strainer of some sort to keep out dust.
On the inside is a Waived iron plate with
closed sides and hinged at the bottom. An
| attachment is arranged to more or less
| completely change it. The entrance should
be little smaller than the exit, that the
/ velocity of the current into the room may
be diminished. 1t is usually placed near
the ceiling.
ventilating fireplaces are marked i'm
provements on the ordinary fireplaces.
| They have all the advantages of the latter,
and in addition they prevent drafts of cold
ar by sending into the room air that is
partially warmed. Fresh air is admitted
to the back Of the CRATE into a chamber
which is warmed by large heating sur
face, and, being carried up by fue, dis
charges into the upper part Of the room.
| There are a number of different kinds of
| good ventilatinR fireplaces and ventilatine
| stoves made. The merits claimed for these
improved freplaces are
That they ventil ate the room.