The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-10
VENTILATION FOR
CARS And COACHES
Municipal Authorities.
and Health Specialists
Interviewed.

and Health Specialists
.Il:t1teRfiewed.
{From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. G., August s.---Thc
kenerous and general endorsement which
tho press has given to the efforts OF the
metropolitan boards OF health TO secure
better ventilation for street cars 4 . anu
railway passenger coaches, as an anl.aai
step to ward the nprovementS OF me ven
tilation Of all public utili ties, mas aTpass
rcrtly not only excited popular Interest IN
this subject In the United States, but liss
attracting attention from foreign muni-5
cipal authorities and health specialists.
People who would be Mortified at being
confined even for q short time IN o room
without ventilation submit 70 polng
herded together In almost n rfnetl s
senied street cars. where they inhaio not
onlythe breath OF the heterogeneous crowd
,f passengers, but the Outlines obnoxious
dors .clinging to the clothing Of those
engaged In certain occupations. Or. J !. y.
Nl0njaras, OF tie city OF Mexico, probably
the leading Mexican authority on this
isubject, and q personal friend OF sur
General Wyman. OF the United states
Marine Hospital Seryl ice. who has pcen
entertained at his beautiful Mexican
home. has written interestingly on the
contamination OF the air under such cir
cumstances, treating not only OF the
danger Of Infection, but Of the 8unpleas-
nntness attending the inhalation OF the
various odors arising from o mass OF
human beings. n; sssi. y. \.
Man himself constitutes one OF the
most powerful elements In the contam ma
ton OF the writes the N e. ex 4
can physician. ~ The products OF his
breathing are poisonous; the gases, yapors
OF water, Intestinal gases. perspiration.
the parasites and parts Of the skin Itself
when taken off, some speci tic micro be-
orra r,fsm when the dweller suffers or Is
troubled with any disease which may pc
transmitted through the air the blood
or pus from wounds not entirely healed;
the articles and substances which he
s, use Tor, lis food, comfort, or toilet, the
cigars etc; the impurities ndhering to
his clothes or shoes, the particles the
fibers which constantly come Oft from
goods, from fury ture or from carpets
which. being crushed and reduced to po W.
derby the feet. mingle with the air. The
greater the number Of d llers OF vtsi--57
tors ia a given place ecomes, the more
liable to decompo sition the air OF SUCH q
place will be. si1 Il III
Onca we have succeeded In perceiving,
through our senses, the presence Of car
bonic acid in given place--for Instance
theatre. church. etc.-the resp irable $a q
which, according to hygienic principles
must be pure, will then contain an enor-:
nous quantity Of germs, organic 4 bodies IN
q state OF decay, deleterious gases. which
VIII tend to provoke "a peculiar stsfe pti-I
billty on the part OF he VII tors 20 con-
tract this or that Inf fictitious disease and;
win even gender the. same.
From his observations and stud y of tho
subjec t, as set q forth at consid cradle
length, DR.. Monjaras draws e number OF
deductions, one Of them to the ef1ects
that when rooms or cars are occupied Dy
persons suffering from contag ous dis
eases, the air may be the main vehicle tt
for the transmissio OF such diseases
tura OF the dlsease-as, for instance In
fluenza. 4 scarlet fever, small lpox. diph-
iberia, etc. sssS ISL
n Commnenting onSs this feature OF Or.
Monjara's remarks. q medical 8ofhcerao y
the United States Marine spital Ser
vice said to-day
.'Smallpox is generally recogni ed as q
winter disease, but it is doubtful II many
people realize why It Is SO much more
prevalent In winter than In summer In
the summer the wind lows are open and
the air, is constantly in circulation. In
the winter 1t IS the reverse, and the germs
have much greater opportunity to attack
and conditions are much more favorable
for their propaga ton. Smallpox Is much
more infectious in hot, closed spac in
winter than Il In an open, -well-ventilated
place; IN summer Consequently even 4
q person whose clothing was impreg-
mated with smallpox germs. should ride
about the city III an open street car, there
would not be very m UGH dang ger to those
sitting near him ; but the same person
in a. winter car with the windows down
and doors closed would be liable to in
feet every passenger. Light and air are
fatal to germs, and that Is Why SMALLPOX
flourlshed most in badly lighted, lily
ventilated homes. from which the germs
are carried r In the clothing Of the in
mates and spread by contact in public
places, where bad venti lation renders the
air favorable to infect on, notably the