The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-08-21

FIRST in rank.
Or Evans first directed his attention
"a the street cars. In his opinion human
ingenuity had devised in these useful
vehicles the most perfect instruments
known for the rapid disseminAt ion % CON
tagious diseases The old rickety. leaky
cold street cars were not 50 unSanitary
a. the present more comfortable con-
veyances. IArge quantities OF air leaked
In through cr~vices and badly adjusted
windows; whenever the doors opened
generous gales blew through. But with
the growth 81 luxury street car patron"
have insisted on being coddled.
Two years ago pr Evans approached
the railroad companies and suggested
changes In all attempts To veniilats
street cars he insisted on the recognition
Of two fundamental PRINCIPLES: some
apparatus must be onnt-ived u force the
used up warm air out at the top Of the
car and the fresh. cold air must he intro
duced AT the bottom.
Dr. Evans explained all this 10 tho rail
road companies, Out they did not readily
sea the point. He then promptly brought
suits. hut he did r ot have 10 push them far
for a. soon a. they saw that the Health
Commissioner u SAINT business the cor
porations agreed to ventilate the cars
In tho roofs 81 these cars are exhaust
appliances which mechanically suck out
the used up air. in the floors and under
the seats ara large intakes into which the
passing over the steam coils rises into the
breathing zone. On the COOLEST days
when the doors and windows are shut
tight and when the cars are packed every
passenger has an allotment OF 100 cubic
feet 81 outside air an hour DR.. Evans
has succeeded IN crystlllizing the reform
N new city ordinance which stipulates
that -. OOO cubic feet ~ fresh air an hour
shall be introduced in all cars
Then DR. Evans tackled the schools.
MT - aaeF
lshing perc-ntag" 81 backward punils
The thing most responsible for their
hackwArdne-S was hot. dry air. All
air III for IN" -ustenancc 81 human beings
contains large percentage Of water
vapor
IN" relative humidity Of out 81 doors
air ~ -. Water in the air svcryw here
tends To- seek this level. II any Of tho
vapOr ~ removed then the air PUSHES
around attempting 20 extract IL from
other SOURCES
Now tho Chicago schools and the public
schools IN nearly all American cities
took this humid air from outdoors and
heated Il until nearly all tho wai"r was
squeezed out. The school rooms were
thus filed with air tho relative humidity
of which was only ~. whereas natures
own air contains about -.
In Accordance with irrevocablo natural
Law this dry. thirsty air went sc,Irrying
around IN" rpoTnS frantcallv attrmpt-
IT, equilibrium. Whe-e could u get H.
what hotter place than human bodieS'
Aren't w. 80 PER cont. pure water
To uuench IL. thirst in this way il good
for tn. air. hut had for tn" children.
The loss II water IL serious thing for
tn" human body 4 very dry AtmoS-
ph"rr ~ especially bad for the nose
throat and bronchial passP ges. for thes"
ar" the handie~t object Of attack Thasr
passa 60 lose their moisture when sssailed
a i. -
after the water - baked out and thus
become sore ard ca tarrhal
Tn" -acrrtior- in these passa geS arr
powerful germ killers, and once dri"d
up the natural resistance Of the hody
20 Contagio di-ea ~es il largely destroyed.
The child subjected 10 such an atmos-
phere for anv length 10 time becomes
kiln dried and untitled TO perform tho
usual functions of has ,ody. 20 say moth
ing of has mind
A. a result IT this agitation the Chicago
educational system has originated q
n, " verb. 10 humidity The meaning
- -imp" All hot arr before entering
the school room - paSs.-d through lets
81 water or " steam II now picks up
it, moisture ~ -humidifving- chambers
in tho basement instead 81 in the threats
and nasal passages Of the children and
teachers
Principal Watt has gone even further
In the lower gTa DIES e his school h" began
heat ali rgether In th"-.' rooms he has
adopted a nov educational motto. -Le-S
instruction and more oxygen In keap-
iug With this 'hesc little children no
l0ngsr at tJgeiher az desks with folded
hands
Tn. daskS have been removed kinder
R1rt"n chairs have been brought m and
the pupils given IN" utmost freedom e
movement In c1ld winter weather they
wear their wraps and hts and these
are their only spurc" - heat n zero
weather they ut AZ their trbl" ia front -
open drIfty wind Their fingers
do not get - numb that they cannot
write "a the bl1ckbosrds. and physical
discomfort - unknown
one day last winter when the Their
mDmeieT registered ten below zero
woman school visit r came int on. ~
these cgll rooms N" was Mortified az
what shs described a. cruelty But
the children simply grinn"i They enjoy
the change immensely and have nick
named the old hot air place the hospital
rooms, because there are - many sick
children IN them
Tn" parents likewise are enthusi1siiC ]
4 think Il ia hest for Mary Z, go into tn. I
cold room, | think II will make her bright
and make her learn fast. writes one ,
mother As Walter IL not altogether ,
healthy writes another I would sooner I
YOU would put him IN a fresh air room; I
HI. color - not good
Dr Evans TOOK nod OF the under /
ground bakeries and unslnItlTv kitchens. .
even invading the first class hotels and /
restaurants The latter fought him and ,
-'IcCe"lei ~ getting the law under which
n. wac working declared unconstitutional I
But after y years struggle Or Evans has
pbt Iinei neS ordnance giving hun /
pnw~r - close any bakery having i'm
pr pp"r lighting vcntilui"n or genera
sanitation
Next he pad his reppeCt To the nickel |
theatres Chicago already had devoted !
some ordinances To the moral side - the I,
moving picture show Is a result 81 1
l= demand that the 700 or sOo theatres !
4 this sort IN Chicago should be ade-
luatelv ventilated and the doctor speci- !
les what he means 10y adequately
here - now plenty 81 breathable air !
n the-s. places LAW have been pa sed |
ecently for the ventilation 81 depart ,
uent rtorcs factories. mills wOrkshOTs 4
md other establishments OF like charac-
ar
But tn" most pressing need IN To reach !
ne people IN their homes There 10
IN law requiring the pe'ple to open their
ylndow-. to sleep out Of doors. to let a |
yale blow through their living rooms sew I
raj times dnv Tn. only possible /