The New York herald., 1921-06-16
Ideal Room Temperature.
A ri. Cooler and Molster Than Is
Generally Found.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD: The
THERMOMETERS mentioned I'm leader OF
THE NEW YORK HERALD OF June IL Is
something more than the ordinary wet
bulb Thermometer which is used In de-
terminlng the relative humidity OF the
air. The instrument. which Is the 'kata-
THERMOMETERS" has bulb about one and
one-half inches long and three-Guarters
OF an inch In diameter. The bore OF the
tube Is very fine and is divided into
tcnths of degree. The Instrument
was perfected By Dr. Leonard Hlli OF
London and is used by him 10 determine
how rapidly cooling by evaporation
takes place from the human body. Dr.
Hill has used Il In the discovery OF I'm
portan; facts that pertain 10 human
comfort. He probably has been able 20
use II 20 better ADVANTAGE than other
oxperimcntors. A committee OF the
American Meteorological Society work.
ing by somcW hai different methods has
practically confirmed DIR. Hlll's discov-
cries and conclusions. The '''a-ther-
mometer IS a very delicate instrument /.
II IN likewise very difficult TO use. As
matter OF fact no one else has been
able 10 use Il 30 effectively ns DR. Hill.
II viii not be effective IN the hands of
one who has not been troined to the
use OF instruments OF precision.
TIE NEW YoRK HERALD Is facetious
over the notion that one rnay not know
what comfort Is unless aided by the
use OF "a kettle OF boiling water, two
thermometers and roll of gauze." Let
us put II IN another light and say that
one Is not always aware OF what fis-
comfort Is. Moreover. when comfort
requires abnormal conditions. II fs pretty
certain that something is wrong. When
one Is shivering with. a chill In a room
with the temperature and humidity at
normal condition it Is pretty certain
that the sufferer requires medical aid.
DIR. Hill In London and DR. Hunting
ton IN the United States after sevcra;
years of researc lave found that with
a room temperature between es and 6s
degrees and humidity not varying
much from 90 per cent bodily COM
fort is at its best Huntington places
the percentage OF humidity slightly
higher. p. r. Jamerow slightly lower
than Hin.
AS matter OF fact the air Of living
rooms, especially that OF school rooms
in winter. Is drier than tho air of the
ella Desert In school rooms the hu-
midity Is rarely as high as 40 per cent.
OF the moisture that may be prcneut IN
the air; usually u varies from ~ per
cent. 20 35 per cent
In other words. hin. with the aid %
the kata-thermometer. has shown that IN
winter air conditions indoors--siry. stag
nant and stale--are pretty closely the
duplicate OF conditions which out OF
doors nature makes the most deadly.
"A study OF the mortality Of cities h
the United States shows that the death
rate In about 30 per cent higher In
January than IN June or October. tho
months when tho mortality In most cit
les is lowest.
The moral IL obvious. A lot more
work OF the kind done by rIin is needed
10 show what the conditions Of the air
should be TO produce the optinnm ~
comfort, and journals OF the character
OF THE NEw YonK Herald may occa-
slonally use their space 10 inform pco-
pie how 10 obtain the conditions Of air
that conserve comfort and preserve life.
MOUNT VERNON, Juno rs. OBSERVER.