The Washington herald., 1913-02-23
PROPER VENTILATION OBTAINED
BY Opening Windows At TOP

(Coatribute,i by the Medical Society. District Of
Colunbia)
That lack of knowledge of ply ysical sci
ence is one of the greatest hindrances
| to the advance OF our civilization is
shown by the manner in which house
holders ventilate their homes in the
South To 'how many does the word
ventilation possess any real meaning?
A vague notion that a window opened
anyhow and anywhere or ventilator
OF which the construction and mode OF
action are totally unknown will in some
mysterious manner ventilate the apart
ment, sums UP the average PERSONS ideas
on the subject: whereas the procedure In
volved in changing the air OF an apart
ment depends upon laws for Ignorance
OF which there is no excuse, on account
of their simplicity.
This is the problem: To remove from
an apartment the gases which come from
its inhabitants and from the flames OF
active combustion or gas. candles ana
| kerosene lamps.
| Though we cannot see the products. a
simple experiment shows their behavior.
Obtain a toy balloon: fill 1t with air from
the fame Of a candle or from the lungs
by blowing into II. 1t will ascend to
| the roof. After a period II VIII oe-
scend. Why is this? Its contents are the
same Because, the air from the lungs
or candle is lighter than the air in the
room. Heat makes substances less Dense
that is. less heavy. Gases when ngnter
than those surrounding them, ascend
lust as a cork will ascend TO the sur
face when placed In water. The balloon
falls again, because its contained gases
are, when cooled to the temperature OF
the room. heavier than those OF the at
phere 1t contains carbon dioxide. This
gas from the burning candle and tne
breathing animal is the substance which
| We wish to Danish from our houses py
| Ivantilation. 1t Is obvious that 1t should
be removed before it has an opportunity
TO cool and mix with the pure air. There
fore 1t should be removed immediateiy
II ascends by an opening at the top oi
the apartment. Upon this principle tne
laws Of ventilation depend.
| Defective ventilation is the chief cause
OF consumption The consumptive death
/ rate is much greater In Southern critics
than those in the North. This appears
i a paradox; because Southerners may i've
with open windows all the year around
But 1t is exceedingly rare TO nnd tne
window opened save at the bottom. a
breeze passes from the opening, cooling
4 the inmates DOulcs, put NShSeo'''
stream Of polluted air Is descending from
the roof and mixing with the pure ali
from the window, so that inmates arr
breathing a contaminated atmosphere
while under the impression that they are
living in the purest Of air.
Coolness and ventilation are not the
| same thing, although the air brought
into our houses to ventilate them Is gen.
orally cooler than the impure air in the
| room. The air. of a church or vault
Is generally. though cool. exceedingly
Impure, while the hot air Of the desert
is Of highest purity.
In the majority of families nightfai
Is a signal for closing all windows, how
ever few, which have been open. A
vague fear of night air, relic OF the days
Of savagedom OF our ancestors, wher
security in the cave or rude hut could
only be gained by barring every open
ing, is the cause of this. As matter
4 of fact the air of cities is at its pur'
eat in the night: there Is less trafiic
which means less dust: factory furnaces
are 0ess active; gas lights less numerous
as the night progresses; the suns mois.
] jture-drawing power Is no longer ex'
lcrted. SO that the blanket of moisture
i which prevents the diffusion Of sulphur
| fumes, SCOT. and dust. is absent.
But most important OF all. each Gas
jet lin an apartment consumes hvt
times as much oxygen as one individua
in the same time; so that instead OF the
windows being closed at night they
j should be open more widely to iet ou'