The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-24
THE AIR WE BREATHE

One stormy evening recently stepped into the Johnsons' house without waiting for an answerr 10 my ring, and heard quite n hub bub going on in the sitting room. Claire's voice was raised in a far cical limitation of a grand opera singer, while Bill and Mary were shouting with laughter. When reached the doorway I saw Claire striking an attitude before cur l tain ring hung from the chandel- fer. She stopped in the middle of a note when she saw me and gig gled.
 "Come in, Doctor" said Bill rather apologetically, "don't think we have gone crazy. We were all in the broadcasting studios this afternoon, and Claire has been giv- ing us an imitation of Madeline Summers singing into the mike" "It did look funny to see her throw out her arms in a noble though the radio audience could see her."
 I agreed tn at 1t must have looked funny, and asked what else they had seen. We went into the control room," replied Bill, but what interested me the most was the air.conditioning plant" Was there anyone to explain tt?" asked. "One of the engineers tod us all about it, broke in Mary, "and was he enthusiastic! He had no use for windows. But told him, I should still want to see who was passing, however good the air was" laughed at this and said most of us would feel the same way.
 we'll" said Bill, "you can't look out of the windows in the studios because there aren't any. They must have quiet, and they must have good air"
 "very important points in Q broad casting studio" I agreed.
 "Did you know, Doctor" "that they wash all the air, literA ally I mean. They take the dust and soot out by passing 1t through Q spray of water; and they control the temperature and the. humid ity.r And having the air moist 1t a lot easier for the singers and the speakers too," put in Mary, who has radio ambitions herself.
 "When you have clean air of the right temperature and the right humidity" I said, there is only ono point left-the circuln- ton. What did you learn about that?"
 Bill looked blank; "I guess we forgot about that"
 T think I can tell you without seeing the plant" I went on, that the air in the studios is kept slow ly moving, because that Is ono of the essentials. If you want air to seem fresh, 1t must move." Bill considered this, and then agreed that air must move or we should always be breathing the same nlr | in and out. There's more to 1t than that" I told him. "Our bod les are constantly giving off fnois- ture, and need new masses of air to absorb 1t and carry 1t off. This helps to keep us ut a normal tenn l perature."
 "Do you suppose, Doctor" Mary broke Tn, that ordinary people like us will ever have air-condi- extremely likely, but so far 1t was gested that even now we did not make the best use of the facilities we had.
 "How do you mean, Doctor" asked Bill. Suppose you look at that thermometer behind you," I suggested, "what does 1t register?" "Seventy-five," replied Bill. That's what 1 mean," I continued, "I doubt if the broadcasting studios were more than 68 or 70, because 1t has been found that the body functions best at those temper atures. Besides, living in over heated rooms does make people more subject to being chilled when they go out, and radio perform CTS can't afford to run those risks"
 ''It's probably too dry in here as well as too, warm," said Mary, ''shall I get a pan of water on the fadiator?" l told her it would do no harm, but on the other hand, 1t would have very little effect on the kair of the room. The amount of moisttire . pan of water could givc off would be iniinitegimal conn pared Co the amount needed. 'T'm afraid we shall have to wait for aIr~conditionjnR Co be sure of the ] right humidity" said, but we