The herald., 1897-09-19
PURE AIR IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS

A plea for pure air IN PUBIC buildings
constitutes a timely editorial in re-
cent issue of the Medical Record. While
the article in question is intended to
affect the board of health Of the city of
New York, the facts commented on are
worthy of the serious consideration OF
the health board Of Los Angeles and
apply with equal force to the ventila-
ton of our public buildings, halls, IL
braries, churches, theaters, etc. We
have known instances in which men and
women have been virtually driven out OF
such buildings by reason Of the vitiated
air therein. Scores Of people have de-
clined to attend church services for the
same reason.
AS a rule, the role of the kicker is not
a desirable one, and, as the managers OF
public buildings will, generally, attempt
nothing in the way of securing gooo
ventilation for such edifices unless re-
minded thereof by vigorous protest,
the evil has gone from bad to worse and
is at last accepted by the public as one
of those inevitable annoyances apper-
tanning TO good" society which men
and women must endure in silence. The
editorial in the Medical Record referred
to. speaking of the board of health,
says:
For one thing, 1t may well turn Its
attention to the ventilation and clean
liness of places of public assemblage.
Probably no night in the year passes
without in this city dozen to hum
dred halls, theaters or other places OF
public meeting being filled with
throngs of people, who pant and swelter
in a sitting air, and pray that it may
dawn upon the manager or attendants
to open a ventilator or window. But
their prayer is in vain, for what DO
managers know Of the necessity Tor
air. or care for the health of the pub
lie? Besides, in cold weather does not
a close room with many people save
fuel? In warm weather. in the absence
of compulsory ventilation of public
buildings, what is everybody's concern
Is always left undone. Who Is there
who has not found himself placed in
some cul-de-sac Of a theater, where
air had neither entrance nor exit. and
where the exhalations of the multitude
fingered about his olfactories with the
persistence Of time and the flickering
heart seemed to welcome the pale mask
of eternity? It was thus years ago, and
1t IL no better today. But while this
is going on and constitutions are be-
ing undermined, crowds being COM
PEELED because of criminal carelessness
to inhale over and over an atmosphere
surcharged with carbonic acid gas and
the eff1uvia of their own bodies, the
board of health hopes to check tuber-
cuosis by issuing edicts prohibiting
expectoration and writing down as
suspects one-tenth or more of the pop
ulation. For equal result on the public
health and comfort, the board could
probably put in force no regulation
with so little outlay of money and la
Dor as one compelling the best use Of
present ventilating facilities in halls,
libraries and theaters, and prohibiting
the erection in the future of any build
ing for public assemblage without am
every gallery and box, and that, too,
without creating dangerous air cur
rents. One or more inspectors should
make visits often enough to insure OBJ
servation of the regulations.
When 1t is remembered that this ad-
vice comes from high medical authority,
thoroughly competent as we'll as dis
interested. its value will be appreciated.
The evil complained Of is, Of course,
lighter here on the Pacific coast, where
the equable temperature mitigates Its
effects. than 1t is in the less salubrious
air and more densely crowded city of
New York. But it is here, nevertheless
and there is no reason why it should be
longer endured by an Intelligent public