The evening times., 1896-07-27

Ihe Smithsonian Institution has recently
presented to the world an important paper
upon the relations OF the atmosphere to
human life. 1t bears particularly upon the
SUBJECT OF ventilation, and was prepared
by DR.. John S. Billings, late of the Medi.
cal Museum; DR.. Weir Mitchell and DR.. d.
II ergey, under grant of 81 900 from
the hodgEins fund made in May, 1898.
f9r many years prior to 1883 the pre-
'aiiihg view among physicians and SAM
tarians mad been that the discomfort and
dahGers To health and life, which had
peeh known to exist, sometimes at least.
IN unventilated rooms occupied By a num-
Der OF human beings, were largely or en-
tirely due to peculiar organic matters
contained in the air expired BY these per
sons, and that the increase in caIbonic
acid due to respiration had but little ef-
feet in producing these results, its chief
Importance being that it furnished cor-
venient means OF determining the amount
OF the vitiation of the air. Recently, how
ever 1t had been concluded by several ex-
perimenters that the organic matters re.
iefred to were not harmful, and to de-
terinine whether this was true the expert
| ments by the eminent physicians named
were undertaken.
The investigation was carried on at the
laboratory OF the University of Pennsyi-
vania, where the assistance of three other
physicians was received from time to time.
The experiments were about $50 in num-
Der and extended through an entire year.
EXPIRED AIR NOT POISONOUS.
The results obtained indicate that in air
expired by healthy mice, sparrows, rabbits,
guinea pigs or men, there is no Peculiar
organic matter which is poisonous to the
animals mentioned, excluding man. Neither
is there any organic matter which tends 10
produce disease in any of them in any spe.
cial form. The injurious effects observed
from such expired air appear to arise
wholly from the dimiDution of oxygen, or
the increase OF carbonic acid, or to the
combination of these two factors. The
results also make it very improbable that
the miniature quantity OF organic matter,
expired from the human lungs has any
deleteriOus effect upon men who inhaIe
II in ordinary rooms, and hence it is nee
essary to take this factor into account in
the ventilation of such rooms.
1t was also discovered that no bacteria
or epithelial scales or particles of dead
tissue are contained in expired air. In the
act of coughing or sneezing, such organ
isms or particles may be thrown off. The
small quantity of ammonia or combined
nitrogen in the breath appear to come from
the mouth and pharynx, rather than from
the lungs.
1t was found that the air of an inhab
room, such as hospital ward. is contami-
mated from many sources beside the ex-
pired air of the occupants, and most OF the
contamination is In minute particles or
dusts In the dust were micro-orga nisms.
including some of the bacteria which pro.
duce suppuration and Inflammation. 1t is
suggested that the dust could be remoyedby
an air filter.
BAD oDORs INJURIOUS.
Finally, and perhaps most important. the
increase OF carbOnic acids and diminution
OF oxygen observable in badly ventilated
churches, schools. theaters and barracks. is
not to be charged with the increase of dis.
ease and of death rates that have been OBJ.
served, nor with the discomfort The dis
comfort is caused not by dusts OF any kind.
but by excessive temperature and unpIeas-
ant odors. Such rooms are usually over
heated, the bodies of the occupants and at
night the means of Illumination contributing
to the result.
The cause OF the musty odor noticed in
passing from the open air into crowded,
unventilated room is not known, but it is
believed to be due to excretions from the
teeth and other parts of the body to soied
clothing and the like.
1t is suggested that the injury to health
from bad odors is probably much greater
than supposed. A caution is added against
reducing the air space to be allotted to
each person in planning ventilation on
account of the conclusions presented.