Year: 1869

State Convention of County Saperin-
tendents, at Des Moines, on the 23rd
Of April, 1860, by j. II. STEWART


In educating the head to think, the
heart to feel and the body to act" it
must not be forgotten that, just as the
penalty of taking poison is death, SO
the penalty of breathing foul and
vitiated air is death, sooner or later.
Because the penalty is not executed
speedily, therefore, the heart of man
seems to have been long set in him
to wickedly defeat the arrangement Of
nature for the purification OF air and
shut salubrity all out of doors during
our school-boy days. When so many
died in the famous Black Hole at Cal
cntta tharn -.~- 'A-r,o .>..t
ling result. But it is only at rare iu
teryals that large numbers lose their
lives together from want OF pure air;
and yet slight but continuous deficen
cy in its supply is constantly destroy
ing vast numbers by slow poison.


"A good supply Of fresh air is easy
to get out of doors, for nature has
wisely provided a system of agitation
which etfectually mlngles and iilutcs
into healthful mixtures deleterious
gases, which, if inhaled singly, would
be utterly disastrous. 1t is only in
places where we are compelled to
breathe the air again and again, that
there is cause for anxiety about its
quality, as that which we inhale is diff
terent from that which we exhale. Its
volume of oxygen is diminished and
that of carbonic acid increased that
is, it loses part Fits vivifylng power
and receives an increase OF this posi-
lively bad elemert,-a large Increase
of which, renders the air actually pois.
onous. Pure air is composed of oxygen,
nitrogen and carbonic acid in certain
proportions. OF the latter there is al
ways about one-tenth OF one per cent
And now if we consider that each per-
son requires one gallon of air every
minute, or one hundred and eighty
gallons during half days session OF
school, and further, that at each in
spiration, when constant supply of
fresh airs wanting, the vivifying power
of the air is diminished and its delete
rious gases increased in ceometric
ratio, we shal! be prepared to under
stand somewhat of the necessity for
thorough and careful ventilation.


Bad ventilation is had economy,
both physiolog,cally and financially
considered. 1t is but another way OF
producing the same effect which has
so often proved disastrous from the
warming of sleeping apartments, by
placinga dish Of burning charcoal with.
in them, and shows its inevitably evil
results in broken-down systems, in
positive disease. and, at length, in
death. Heating by burning charcoal
in open vessels, has long been consld
cred doubly dangerous, from the fact
that the carboilic acid generated, tends
to produce sleep and stupidity, and,
therefore, gives the sleeper no hint OF
his danger. The case is little different
in i'll ventilated school-rooms; for plen-
tiful supplies of pure air are largely
the source of all the powers manifest.
ed by living beings. A man or child
who can perform a given amount OF
labor, with a full supply OF pure air,
can only perform halt as much, if halt
the air be impure; and hence it comes
that often a dogged stupidity settles
down upon both teacher and prpils,
and, while he stupidity tries to insti
stupid ideas into stupid heads, the
whole school is taking up an element
of death into its circulation, the teach
er is receiving his salary for halt SER
vice, or less, and fuel is unnecessarily
consumed in vain attempts to render
the school comfortable by artificial
heat.


But there is no dispute in reference
to the evils consequent upon bad ven
tilation. or the necessity for thorough
and judicious provision to accomplish
the end desired The main question
therefore is, how shall we ventilate?
Can this desiaeratnm in every school
house be supplied at moderate ex-
pcnso9 Let us see.


The large, open fire place had its
advantages, because the amount OF
air carried from the room by it, was
sufficient to accomplish the purpose
of ventilation: but the amount of heat
carried up the chimney, was also sutii-
cient to accomplish the less desirable
work of burning all tie forests within
reach. 1t was also faulty because the
currents which it caused in the room
were cold currents, and the heat dis
pensed was al by direct radiation.
Perhaps not more than twenty y-tivc
per cent. OF the heat produced was
available tor the warming of the room;
and, indeed, good authority tells US
that eighty-tive to ninety per cent. Of
it escaped through the chimney to the