I Éé il ,., Surgeon Ge-eral's Office } ¥'ù ^ «* M> OX' -H ;'8f '■- iSeettCH, So.Ll..:^l:7.. .^r *-* r@^ _-_J$ È.'' *'• .,.jr,.c- GOUGE'S ATMOSPHERE VENTILATOR. PaTENTED May 26, 1863; Aprîl 25, 1865; AND May 9, 1865. iSsT The arrows indicate the up-nioving currents of air. (SsT The combustion of the gas jet at E is supported by the air which enters at C, and along with this air, which acquires a powerful ascensional force through the burning gas jet, the carbonic acid, and other impurities, ascend and mingle with the heated air and lighter noxious gases which enter the ventilator at I, ail passing upward and onward, by virtue of an irresistable motive power, until they are finally discharged into the atmosphère. See illustration, page 4, and "Further Explanations," etc, page 48. NEW SYSTEM OF VENTILATION WHICH HAS BEEX TIIOROUGHLY TESTE1) UXDER THE PATROXAGE OF M AN Y DISTINGUISHED PERSONS, BEIXG ADAPTED TO PARLORS, DIXIXG AXD SLEEPIXG ROOMS, KITCHEXS, BASEMEXTS, CELLARS, YAULTS, WATER-CLOSETS. STABLES, PRESERVLXG-ROOMS, CHURCIIES, LEGISLATIVE-HALLS, SCHOOL AXD COURT-ROOMS, PRISOXS, HOSPITALS, STORES, SHOW-WLXDOWS, HOTELS, BAXKIXG-HOUSES, RESTAURAXTS, COAL-MIXES, POWDER-MAGAZIXES, RAILROAD TUXXTELS, FACTORIES, PORK PACKIXG HOUSES, SHIPS, STEAMBOATS, ETC. -A. BOOK FOR THE HOUSEHOLD. THIRD EDITION ENLARGED, WITH NEW ILLUSTRATIONS. By HENRY A. GOUGE. 1 If we breathe a gas that is noxious, or air that contains but a very small proportion of carbonic acid, we die."—Anatomy, Physiqhtàfy'ànd^Hygiene. By Prof. John C. Draper. LïBS.'Ev. D. VAN NOSTRAND, 23 MURRAY AND 27 WARREN STREETS. 1870. is rc FIL m 0.oZ7} no. S PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. Dr. Johnson, or some other old English author — no matter about the name—lias said that it is more difficult to write a préface to a book than the book itself, or words to that effect. That may be true when the author has nothing to say, and in such case it would be better to hâve no préf- ace at ail. Respecting the présent book, we hâve had two éditions without a préface, and would hâve no préface in the third édition, but that this particular page, apart from the copyright, would otherwise be left blank. Nature, it is said, abhors a vacuum, and we equally abhor unoccupied space in a book. A single octavo page may yet prove sufficient to electrify or convulsé the world. With pen in hand, therefore, we will merely say that we hâve added much new matter to the présent édition, which we hope may be read and studied with benefit ; and if we are instrumental in per- suading people that they can not enjoy good health without having pure air to breathe, we shall feel that we hâve not labored altogether in vain. HENRY A. GOUGE. New York City, January lst, 1870. Business Office, 254 Broadway. k's Office of the District Court of INDUCTION OF AIR-MOTIVE POWER OF VENTILATION. E.rpl.—K, Small tube through which air is blown, constituting a primary current, represented as passing into the larger tube C. B, B, Arrows indicating the direction of the induced currents of air, which are put in motion by the primary current. D, Second primary current of air passing from C into F. E, E, Induced currents, resulting from the primary current D. From F the air escapes into open space, as indicated by the arrows. «§T The induction of air, as represented by the above figure, is the essential motive power of " Gouge's Atmospheric Ventila- tor." Through this induction, powerful up-moving currents of air are obtained, without which there can be no efficient ventilation. But little heat is required for the purpose, which may be furnished by a gas jet, kérosène lamp, or other équivalent. Sorne hâve argued that it is impossible; for so sligbt a cause to produce so powerful an effeet. This is a mistake. Raréfaction of the air is indirectly oneof the most powerful forces in Nature. It produces flie storm and the tornade The warm air of the Gulf Stream, through its raréfaction, causes the colder air of the Atlantic; to rush in with an uneeasing force to fill the vacuum. We bave only sought to imitate Nature. Much, however, dépends upon the proper construction of our ventilating apparatus in référence to its efficient working. Sec Illustration opposite; to the title page, and " Furthcr Explanations," etc., page 48. WEATHER CAPS Explanation.—The Weather Caps hère represented, and indicated by numbers, are used in connection with Gouge's Atmospherio Ventilator. They are varied in style, according to the architectural design of the building to which they are to be attached, and are so constructed as to prevent the admission of rain, snow or wind, while they permit the currents of air from the interior of the building to pass freely into the atmosphère. CONTENTS. PAGE New System of Ventilation.................................................................. 7 Foui Air and Disease Synonymous—The New York Tribune ................... 8 The Food we Eat—Ventilated Provision Closets..................................... 10 Noxious Gases—How they Destroy the Blood—Dr. Mattson's Testimony... 11 To Architects and Builders.................................................................... 13 Paran Stevens, Esq.—Ventilation of his Stable, Kitchen and Refrigerator— Meat-House in the Fifth Aveuue Hôtel.....................................,.. 14 Ventilation in New York Hotels—Albemarle—Brevoort House—Fifth Ave- nue Hôtel—St. James's—St. Nicholas—Brandreth House—Merchants' Hôtel—Western Hôtel—Stevens' House—Internationul Hôtel............ 17 Pork House Ventilation—Pork cured at Fifty Degrees of Température...... 18 Ventilation of Stables—Horses eicken and die from bad air—Zoological Gardens—Varnish of Carriages Destroyed—Cow Stables—Poisonous Milk—Statement by Professor Doremus........................................ 20 Palaces and Stables in New York City—' ' Fresh Milk "—Peevish Mothers.. 23 Water-Closet Ventilation...................................................................... 26 Smoking-Rooms—Regard for the Health of your Wife and Family........... 26 Sub-Cellars, Basements, etc.—Goods Savedfrom Rusting........................ 27 Fruit-Rooms—Préservation of Fruit in its natural state—Strawberries kept ten days, and Ripe Peaches three weeks........................................ 28 Show-Window Ventilation—Refrigerators......................................... 29, 30 Facts Concerning the Préservation of Méat, Butter and Milk—Ventilated Milk and Butter Houses—Testimony of Mrs. G. S. Robbins............ 31 Banking-Houses—Judge Hilton and his Stable—Ventilation of the New York Bank—Pure Air a Valuable Panacea.................................... 32 Washington City Post-Office—A Fact for the Skeptical—Orders from Jay Cooke and Geo. W. Riggs, the noted Bankers............................... 33 Bank-Vaults—Powder-Magazines—Sailing Vessels—Commodore Foote...... 34 Churches — New Mode of Ventilation — Anecdote of a Distinguished Clergyman................................................................................ 36 Insufficiency of Flues or Chimneys as a means of Ventilation—Origin of Chimneys—Divided Flues............................................................ 38 The New Method of Ventilation Explained—Théories considered—Expense of the Gas—Leading Points of the Ventilator—Prof. Draper's Mode of Ventilation—Advantages of the Ventilator............................... 41 PART SECOND. General Remarks.............................................................................. 47 Further Explanations of our Theory and Plan of Ventilation..,.................. 48 Cost of Ventilation—Heat and Ventilation............................................ 50 Zymotic Diseases—Foui Air—National Hôtel Disease—Hospital Ventilation 51 Overcrowding—Remedy....................................................................... 54 Origin of Gouge's Ventilation, with other Fragmentary Sketches, by Morris Mattson, M. D........................................................... 56—63 Caverns, and their Anomalies............................................................... 56 Expérimental Failures in Ventilation—Carbonic Acid Gas..................... 57 Organic Poison of the Breath—The Brahmin and the Microscope....... 59, 60 Drinking from the Same Cup—Fainting in Public Places....................... 61 Architects—Inferior Physical Development—Bismarck—Ship Ventilation.. 62 IV PAGE Headache—Steinway Hall................................................................... 63 Forced Ventilation—Fans and Engines—Ventilation, Pure Air, Health... 04, C6 Parlors—Sleeping-Rooms—Kitchens—Cellars—Water-Closets—Churches— Législative Halls.................................................................... 66, 67 Poor-Houses—Provision Closets—Horse Stables—Ships and Steamers....... 68 School-House Ventilation—Secret of Ventilation—Food of the Lungs— Atmospherio Impurities—Letters of Eudorsment...................... 69, 71 A Chain with Many Links.................................................................... 71 Restaurant Ventilated—Property Quadrupled in Value............................ 72 Another Restaurant—More about Flues—Swarms of Flies........................ 73 Banking-House—Flues a Nullity—Sickness from Foui Air........................ 74 Dwelling-House of D. C. Cellar, Esq..................................................... 7~> Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance Company.................................. 75 Union Club Rooms—Uselessness of Flues.............................................. 76 Arctic Insurance Company—Flues and Steam Pipes Fail to Ventilate, etc. —Letter of V. Tilyou—Preserving-Room and Dwelling House...... 77, 78 Dwelling-House—Skepticism—A Severe Test.......................................... 78 Glenham Hôtel—No Success, No Pay.................................................. 80 Bloodgood & Company's Banking-House—Union Telegraph Company... 81, 82 Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States.............................. 82 Ventilation in Chicago—Church Ventilation...................................... 82, 83 Calvary Baptist Church—Nathan Bishop, L.L. D.................................... 84 Dr. Hall's Church—A Rigid Contract—Church Headache, etc................... 84 School-Room Ventilation—Startling Facts and Disclosures........................ 87 School-House No. 19, Brooklyn—What the RrooMyn Union says.......... 88, 89 The Foulest School-House in New York................................................ 89 Wretched Condition of the School-Houses of the Metropolis—The Killing of Teachers and Pupils by Foui Air .....................•........................ 91 Grammar Schools Nos. 33, 17 and 40................................................. 92, 93 Grammar School No. 50, Primary Schools Nos. 29 and 38........................ 94 Grammar School No. 1, Primary Schools Nos. 8, 42, and No. 1 ........95, DO Grammar Schools Nos. 15 and 47............................................. ........ 90, 97 Co-operation with Architects—Skepticism—Our First Efforts............... 97-102 Specialty of the Architect—Our Apparatus, etc....................................... 100 Co-Operation with Architects Bénéficiai—Mode of Co-operation —Flues or Chimneys—Preserving-Rooms......................................... 101,102 Bodily Religion, By Harriet Beecher Stowe ..................................... 102-105 Our Pretty Boy—Want of Ventilation in School-Rooms — Foui Air of Court-Rooms............................................................................ 103 Food and Fresh Air Contrasted—Churches—Arsenic and Prayer-Meeting— Tavern Life in Connecticut ........................................................ 104 Experiment in Church Ventilation—Receipt for Consumption, Dyspepsia, etc...........................................................................................\ 105 Charlotte Cushman and Dr. J. Marion Sims—Erysipelas—Ventilation__ William Pitt Fessenden, By Morris Mattson, M.D........................... 105 Mark Twain on "Smells," The Turkish Bath, etc.................................... 108 Turkish Bath and Turkish Coffee.......................................................... 209 "Smells" in Chicago and New York City...................................... 110 m Sewer Gas—Congrégation of Bad Smells—Cow-Stable Odors................. 112 Tenement-House Abominations—Ventilation of Tenement-Houses............ 113 Nest of Foui Places—Tenement-Houses Described—Frightful Picture.. 114 115 A Stench that Makes one Shudder—Miasmatic Scum and Poison............... 116 V PAGE Disease Inévitable—Filth and Garbage—Rotten Row............................... 117 Présent Aspect of Tenement-Houses, September, 1869.............................. 118 The Peabody Tenement-Houses in London............................................. 119 Sleepy Congrégations—Sermon on the Mount—St. Paul— Rev. Robert Collyer—Wesley and Whitefield, By Morris Mattson, M.D............... 120 Arm-Chair Gleanings andJottings......................................................... 124 The Air We Breathe, Horrible Facts—A Fatal Warning.......................... 125 Popular Suffocation—" The House We Live In "..................................... 120 Benjamin Franklin—Every Crevice Closed—Weather-Strips..................... 127 Filthy Cellars in First-Class Houses....................................................... 128 Dr. Willard Parker and the Choiera—Poisoned Air—Air of Hospitals....... 129 Black-Hole of Calcutta—Irish Steamer Londonderry—Humboldt............... 130 Air From a Great Height—Susan B. Anthony—The Worst Poison! — Thaddeus Stevens—The World Moves—Sleep......................... 131, 132 Horace Greeley on Farm Life, Fresh Air, etc.......................................... 133 Going to Sleep in Churches—Rev. Théodore Cuyler—Brooklyn Churches— A Protest to Mr. Beecher............................................................ 135 Beecher and the Médical Profession...................................................... 136 '• Snuff in Sermons "—Particles Floating in the Atmosphère..................... 137 A Peck of Dirt—Ventilation of Ferry-Boats—Ventilated Smoking-Rooms, General Grant, Carlyle, Alice Cary................................................ 139 Was it the Whiskey?—Coffins versus Ventilation.................................... 141 Furnace Heat Detrimental to Health...................................................... 142 Our Passenger Steamers—Their Glory and Their Shame........................... 143 "Little Nellie isDying!"—Calcutta Dungeon................................. 144, 145 Infantile Disease and Mortality—Foui Air, By Dr. Meredith Clymer.......... 147 Faraday's Opinions—Fair.ting in Churches, Infant Mortality, ByDr. Combe 148 Dr. Thomas Laycock—Foui Air—Typus Fever—Malaria......................... 149 Cows and Cow-Stables—What a Professor of Materia Medica says............ 150 Voice from JudgeDikeman.................................................................. 151 Influence of Happy Homes, By Morris Mattson, M. D.............................. 152 Model Dwellings at the Paris Exposition—French Emperor—Prince Con- sort—Ventilation—Railway Vibrations Injurious to Health....... 152, 153 Beau-Ideal of Ventilation—The Wall Question—" The Dead Man's Smell ': 154 Absorption of Water by Brick, Granité, etc............................................ 155 Hollow Brick—Washable Walls—The Window Question.................. 156, 157 Chimney Flues—Iron and Earthenware Stoves................................ 158, 159 The Ventilating Question—" Nose Test "—Gen. Morin and Miss Nightingale 160 Home Insurance Company—Multiform Ventilation—Close of the Year...... 161 Testimonials...................................................................................... 165 Références.......................................................................................... ^ ILLUSTRATIONS. Gouge's Atmospheric Ventilator.....................................Opposite Title-Page. Induction of Air—Motive-Power of Ventilation....................................... 3 Weather-Caps.......................................••••••..................................... 4 NEW SYSTEM OF VENTILATION, &c. This treatise is written for the purpose of giving a brief explanation of what is termed " Gouge' s Atmospheric Ventilator," for which patents were issued in 1863-65. It has been extensively used since that time, and in every instance with complète and entire success. In view of this positive assertion, which will be sustained by the gentlemen who hâve honored the writer with their names as références, it may as well be stated that the patentée never asks to be paid for his services until he has fully accomplished the object for which he has been employed. In this way he hopes to win the confidence of those who apply to him for his professional services. Althougli the principle involved in the new System of ventilation, which will be hereafter explained, is simple and obvious, yet the successful appli- cation of it is sometimes very dimcult, owing to conditions and circumstances which he will not attempt in this place to describe ; but with the varied expérience which he has had for a long time, ventilating, as lie has done, some of the most difficult places that can be imagined, he believes that he will be able to render full and entire satisfaction to every one who may apply to him for his services. FOTJL AIR—WHAT MAY BE DOISTE BY VENTILATION. Foui or noxious air, in any of its forms, is eminently dangerous to health and life, as every physician who has thoroughly studied the subject will admit ; but if we hâve the bane, we also hâve the antidote. The Atmospheric Ventilator, when properly adapted to the purposes required, will banish foui air and unwholesome odors and gases from every part of one's domicil, workshop, store, office, build- 8 ing, or other unsavory or infected place, and furnish in their stead a full supply of pure air, which will keep the blood in healthful circulation, and aid in counteracting the many tendencies to disease. The air of one's kitchen may be rendered as sweet as that upon the mountain-top, instead of beingallowed to permeate and contaminate the whole house1, imparting a kitchen odor to one's parlors, bedrooms, and even the dresses in one' s wardrobe. AYater-closets may be deprived of their effluvia, and thereby truly rendered what is termed a "modem i'mprare- ment /" cellars and basements may be rendered dry and sweet, so that you may go into them without the risk of con- tracting an asthma or a rheumatism ; and your sleeping rooms may hâve the carbonic acid gas which is discharged from the lungs in breathing, with other poisons exhaled from the surface of the body, carried otf as rapidly as they are formed, instead of being taken back again into the lungs ; and in the place of those noxious agents, you will hâve pure air, in a stendy, gentle, continuons volume, introduced into your rooms without exposing the occupants to draughts, as is the case when the Windows are opened ; and thus, upon rising in the morning, you will feel refreshed and invigo- rated, fully préparée! for the duties or toils of the day, instead of suffering with that languor and debility which are so fréquent] y experienced after sleeping ail night in a close and poorly ventilated room. Ladies will hâve a finer ronge upon their cheeks than they can get from pink saucers, if they will only accustom themselves to sleep ail night in a fiesli and pure atmosphère. FOUL AIR AXD DISEASE SYNONYMOUS—THE XEW YORK TRIBUNE. The writer of this is not a physician, but in the course of his professional duties, ventilating kitchens, basements, water-closets, offices, stables, and ail sorts of places, he has seen enough to satisfy him that a great deal of disease? results from bad air without the cause oftentimes being suspected. The people hâve yet to learn that pure air is one of the most essential requisites of a healtliy existence. The influence of bad air has been constantly apparent to the writer. Ile 9 reeently visited a poor-house, in which there was no adéquate ventilation, and the children were nearly ail suffering with sore eyes and other marks of disease. They were wretched- looking objects. The directoi'S feared thé approach of choiera, and wished to hâve the place ventilated. YVhen this is doue, it will be found that much of the prevailing disease will disappear. AAY ventilated a large banking-house in New York City in which the air was extremely foui, and, when the work was done, the clerks experienced an imiuediate change in the atmosphère ; they felt refreshed and invigorated, instead of experiencing that sensé of weariness and lassitude which accompanies a noxious air. One of the clerks, who had been for a long time asthmatic, immediately recovered his health. A gentleman occupying a very handsome résidence, had what he considered a damp and unwholesome parlor, for lie scarcely ever came home from his counting-room and threw himself upon the sofa without feeling as though he had taken a severe cold. Underneath the parlor was a damp sub-cellar, to which the writer attributed the difficulty, and, upon establishing a proper ventilation, he ceased to take cold, and ceased also to be troubled with attacks of rheumatic pains. Let me add the authority of the Tribune in relation to the pernicious influence of bad air. My first introduction into the Tribune office was in conséquence of a water-closet which had given them a great deal of trouble, imparting a disgusting odor to the editorial rooms. It had been pulled down and newly erected three times, but still the nuisance was not abated. The proprietors of the establishment wished to avail themselves of my mode of ventilation, which was duly employed, and which gave so much satisfaction that I was complimentée! with an editorial notice in the Tribune, from which I make the subjoined extract: "Moredeaths occur annually in New York which may be directly traced to bad ventilation, than are produced by ail épidémie diseases combined. The atmosphère of many of the offices and counting-rooms is so poisonous that any one entering them from the fresh air is actually stifled, though unnoticed by the inmates, except by gênerai lassitude, headaches, and 10 incapacity for work. In our office we hâve introduced Mr. Gouge' s System of ventilation with marked success. There may be as good, or even a better plan, but we hâve found this as effectuai as any thing can be in ill-contrived rooms. But what we désire to see is some plan adopted whereby the exhausted and impure air which is generated in the crowded shops, offices, schools, and factories of our city may be constantly displaced by the introduction of fresh and vital air." Not only man but the domestic animais suffer from impure air. AAre hâve frequently noticed this in ventilating horse stables. The poor animais, not having a full supply of pure air, gradually sicken, and begin to lose their sight. There is an immense amount of blindness among horses on this account. It does not seem to be understood that a horse needs fresh air quite as much as he needs hay or oats. We hâve seen splendid horses, which hâve cost the owners several thousand dollars apiece, sole! at auction for a mère song on account of Blindness, induced by being shut up in close stables. This subject will be referred to again under the head of " Stables." THE FOOD WE EAT—VENTILATED PROVISION CLOSETS. This is a subject deserving more care and attention than it usually receives. We not only poison our blood with foui air, but frequently also by the use of improper food. The noxious gases which are so detrimental to the life forces, when taken into the lungs, will also, retained in refrigera- tors and provision closets, produce rapid putrefactive changes in the méat, fruits, and other articles of food which may be présent. Food may be rendered unwholesome i-nde- pently of a change which would be perceptible to the sensé of smell. Carry off the noxious gases in question, however, as rapidly as they are formed, which is done in my venti- lated provision closets, and it will be found that our most perishable fruits, of which strawberries are a good type, will be preserved in a sound condition for ten days or longer, and fresh méat will keep sweet and good in the hot weather of summer for several weeks, retaining in the mean time its natural red color, Nothing will explain better than this, to 11 the popular mind, the baneful effects of noxious airs and gases, not only in hastening destructive changes in our food, but in deteriorating or destroying our health. Hence it is that a cheap and efficient System of ventilation is one of the great needs of the âge—one of the most urgent wants of our social System. NOXIOUS GASES—HOW THEY ACT UPON AND DESTROY THE BLOOD—DR. MATTSON'S TESTIMONY. There are many noxious gases which find their way much too frequently into our breathing atmosphère, as car- bonic acid gas from the lungs ; carbonic oxide from imper- fect combustion ; and carburetted and sulphuretted Tiydro- gen from the décomposition of animal and vegetable matter. The latter gas, so offensive to the smell, is an émanation also from water closets and drains. In further explanation of this subject, I will quote from lectures entitled " Facts for the People concerning Health," etc., by Dr. Morris Mattson, formerly of Boston, but now of New-York City, in ^ which good authority is given for the statement, familiar no doubt to every well-read physician, that sulphuretted hydrogen, and some other gases, will not only darken the blood, but actually décompose it, so that it can not be restored by the oxygen of the air. We can not conceive of any more cogent argument than this in favor of properly ventilating houses, offices, workshops, factories, and ail buildings in which human beings are crowded together. We can not do better than to quote a few paragraphs from Dr. Mattson on this important subject. He say s : "Carburetted and sulphuretted hydrogen, along with carbonic oxide, are much to be dreaded when we take into account their peculiar action upon the blood. They pro- duce their effects slowly, but with unerring results, unless the cause be removed. They darken the blood, as does car- bonic acid ; but, unlike carbonic acid, they so change its character, that it can not be restored to a healthful condi- tion by oxygen. This is an important considération. Liebeg says sulphuretted hydrogen turns the globules of the blood blackish-green, and finallyblack ; and the original red color can not be restored by contact with oxygen, because a 12 décomposition of them lias obviously taken place. The globules darkened by carbonic aciel, he aelels, beeome again floriel in oxygen, and also in nitrous oxide, which shows that they hâve undergone no décomposition. Hère, then, is a différence between the two gases worthy of notice. Lehmann, the great German physiologist, who lias the sanc- tion of Professor Samuel Jackson, of the Pennsylvania University, {vide 'Manual of Chemical Physiology,') tells us that 'carbonic oxide and several carbohydrogens' color the blood almost black, and destroy the blood-globules, or, in other words, that they ' combine1 so firmly with the com- ponents of the blood-globules that the previous nature of the blood can in no way be restored.' "It will be seen, therefore, that the poisonous gases to which we are frequently exposed and obligée! to inhale, excepting the carbonic acid, tend elirectly to décompose or destroy the blood, so that it can never be restoreel. This is a sufficient explanation of the virulent effects of the gases in question. 'In the blood is the life,' say s the inspired volume ; and whatever tends to disturb the healthful condi- tion of that fiuid must terne! elirectly, and in an equal clegree, to disturb the; whole System. It need not seem extraordinary, then, that the gases aforesaid, acting sueldenly and power- fully upon the System, should, as eminent médical authors allège, produce diarrhœa, dysentery, choiera, typhus, ship and jail fewrs, and even the pestilence. But we hâve thèse gases frequently in a more dilute form, pervading our kitchens, our parlors, and our sleeping-rooms, and yet, per- haps, not appréciable to the sensé of smell. Hère, indeed, we1 hâve a secret foe, equally unseen and unheeeled, which may sap the very foundation of life without our even sus- pecting the cause. If we beeome1 the victims of bad drain- age, etc., we constantly inhale those gases, while confinée! within our houses. and they as constantly décompose1 or destroy our blood. This is especially true at night, while asleep, with perhaps every window carefully and tightly closed, so as to prevent the slightest possible access of pure air. AVe find ourselves a little pale at first upon rising in the morning, with an unpleasant lassitude, and perhaps some nausea or heaelae'he ; but we1 go into the fresh air, and those symptoms are dissipated. In truth, we do not regard 13 them as very important. AA"e renew the? inhalations of the poisonous gases, day after elay and night after night, until the blood is essentially changée! in its healtliy composition, and with it the whole System begins to suffer in a marked degree, taking the form of elyspepsia, neuralgia, rheuniatism, bilious trouble, heart difficulty, or some other phase of chronic elisease. The countenance being pale anel haggard, the doctor prescribes some form of iron, with the hope of improving the blood, but for some reason or other he finds he can not produce a favorable change in that fluid. It does not seem to be understood that the blood is partially décom- posée!, and that the globules which hâve suffered this destruction can never be restored by any human agency ; nor is ventilation thought of as a remeely which, if efficient, would speedily banish every vestige of the noxious gases which hâve causée! ail the difficulty, and which would pre- vent any further destruction of the blooel-globules—the first thing, indeed, to be thought of as a curativt1 means. Thus we are slowly and unconsciously poisoned—poisoned per- haps even unto death. AAre become the victims of a subtle agency of which our sensés do not take cognizance ; we yield to a cause of disease which is equally unseen and unheeded, but which is sure anel terrible in its consé- quences." TO ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS. AA"e respectfully solicit the judgment of architects and builders in relation to our method of ventilation. They are already fully informed as to the importance of the subject, and the community very naturally look to them for sugges- tions as to the best modes of guarding against disease, and especially such diseases as the choiera. No scientific archi- tect need be told that, to préserve health, it is imperative to hâve perfect ventilation. But very few architects or builders hâve been able to devise any efficient plan for accomplishing this resuit. To effect the object, ail impure or vitiated air must be quickly removed, and fresh air continuously intro- duced in its place. AAre claini, upon the score of an enlarged expérience1, as well as upon the basis of scientific and philo- sophie truth, that our ventilating apparatus will accomplish this in the most perfect manner, and as no other method of 14 ventilation ever yet discovered is capable of doing. It is simple in its construction ; it is extremely economical ; it costs nothing to keep it in order ; it requires no skill in its use and no attendance except the lighting of the gas jet ; and it can be readily introduced into any apartment or inclosure requiring the interchange of a pure air for one that is impure and unwholesome. Let architects and builders, therefore, carefully study this matter in référence to the welfare of the public, and décide, according to their best judgments, upon the merits of the invention in question. PARAN STEVENS, ESQ. — VENTILATION OF HIS STABLE, KITCHEN, AND EEFRIGERATOR — MEAT-HOUSE IN THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL. Mr. Stevens is a représentative man, being the Napoléon of popular hôtels in the United States. A. B. Darling, Esq., one of his partners in the Fifth Avenue Ilotel, is also a représentative man, though not so extensively known to the public as Mr. Stevens. He arranged the gênerai jjlan and construction of the hôtel, and is its chief manager, purchas- ing ail the provisions and stores used in the establishment. In that capacity he applied to me for my services in ventilat- ing his meat-house. When the hôtel was first commenced, he used large |Drovision closets or refrigerators, with the ordinary but wholly inadéquate ventilation. Thèse were soon abandoned, because it was found that the méats speedily spoiled. He then x>acked his méats in large chests, alternating with layers of ice, which preserved the méats a longer time ; but it was found that the portions of the méat in contact with the ice would be bleached perfectly wliite, and had to be eut off and thrown away. This, of course, was a great loss. Nevertheless, this plan was con- tinued for many years, until I constructed for him a large ventilated meat-house, capable of holding one or two tons of méat, which he has used ever since. AVith a température not exceeding forty-five or fifty degrees, he can keep méat in the hottest days of summer as long as he desires, which is usually a week or ten days ; and during this time it retains its red color, which indicates that it is in the best and most wholesome condition for food. I am assured that 15 not a pound of méat has been lost since the meat-house was put into opération. It is with some little professional pride and pleasure, therefore, that I would suggest to a generous public, not already familiar with the culinary and other attractions of the Fifth Avenue Hôtel, that if they are desirous of regaling their palates with the best and choicest méats which the market affords, they need only record their names as guests at the above celebrated house. Indeed, it may be confidently stated that méats kept for a period of about ten days, (thisis the theory of Mr. Darling,) in one of my ventilated meat-houses or yjrovision closets, whereby they hâve no opportunity of absorbing the injurious gases constantly présent m close or imperfectly ventilated refrig- erators, hâve a savory richness and delicacy, and withal a nutritive quality, not characteristic of méats kept in the ordinary way. Succeeding so well in the experiment with the meat- nouse, Mr. Darling employed me to ventilate ail of his pro- vision rooms, and also the large water-closet of the hôtel, which had caused a great deal of trouble, and was a source of discomfort to the guests. AVith this favorable introduction into the establishment, I was requested to call upon Mr. Stevens, whose name is at the head of this article, and who had been complaining for a considérable time of the inaelequate ventilation of his horse stable, perceiving, when he entered it, a stifling atmosphère and an almost intolérable odor, which was even perceptible in his horses when they were brought into the open air ; and withal, his horses ax)peared to be in an unhealthy con- dition, with cold ears, bloodshot eyes, and other signs of disease. It was under thèse circumstances that Mr. Stevens wishee! to avail himself of my new System of ventilation, for he had hitherto looked in vain for any relief from the troubles enumerated above. I found in his stable five splen- did horses, for one of which he had recently paid five thou- sand dollars. The stable I found to be almost destitute of ventilation, notwithstanding an ample flue put up at the head of each stall in the original construction of the build- ing, and which the architect, without doubt, deemed all- sufficient for the purposes of ventilation. There was also, in addition to the flues, a large trap or ventilator in the sky- 10 light ; but, with ail of thèse contrivances, the atmosi^here in the stable was of the most offensive character, and the poor horses, valued at a little fortune, were suffering for the want of a due sivpi)ly of that inelispensable élément of life anel health, pure air. I proceeeleel at once to ventila te the stable, anel in a few weeks after the work was cominVted, I called upon Mr. Stevens to inquire what had been the resuit of the experiment. He assurée! nie that it had worked splen- didly, and that his stable now abounded with a pure, sweet and wholesome air. A great lover of that noble animal, the horse, as Mr. Stevens is known to be, I coule! not but observe the pleasure which lie manifestée! in having been able to improve the sanitary condition of his favorite animais. Deriving so much satisfaction from the introduction of a rmre atmosphère into his stable, Mr. Stevens now had his attention recalled very forcibly to the sad condition of his kitchen, which, he said, abounded in offensive anel un whole- some odors, and which, as is common in ail similar cases, were constantly pervading the rooms above, and renchîring his riarlors, his art-galleiy, and other apartments extremely disagreeable. A ventilator, so called, had been placée! in the flue, extending up from the kitchen, but it proved to be of no avail ; and he had almost decided to tear elown this flue and erect another in its T)lace, extending to the lieight of five stories, with the hope that the defee-ts herein described might be obviated. He was gratified to fine!, however, that insteael of an expenditure of five or six thousanel dollars, which a new flue would cost, lie coule! hâve his kitchen ven- tilated by my simrue method at comparatively little expense. The we>rk was commenced anel speedily complétée!, and I had the assurance of Mr. Stevens that the exj)eriment was entirely successful, and that he was no longer troublée! with an impure or disagreeable atmosphère in his private apart- ments. Mr. Stevens next desired me to ventilate a large refrio-er- ator, which he used for private purposes, and into which choice méats, game, and other provisions were placée! for préservation. As he had become somewhat accustomed to the pleasures of a sweet atmosphère in his stable, kitchen and private parlors, he had no difficulty in detecting the very impure atmosphère which pervaded this refrigerator. 17 Indeed, upon opening the door, the air was almost sicken- ing, and the idea of a dinner of sirloin or canvas-back from such a réceptacle was anything but agreeable. And hère it ought to be borne in mine! that no food is fit to be eaten which is confined a long time in such an atmosphère as hère described. The provisions are tainted by the noxious gases which are présent, and thèse gases, as already stated, are regardée! by physicians as more or less poisonous to the blood and the whole System. Mr. Stevens was not to be censurée! for this sael condition of his ynivate larder, for lie knew not how to remedy the evil, and a peep into the refrig- erators of our fashionable hôtels, boarding-houses, and private dwellings will frequently disclose an odor not at ail suggestive of " Sweet-brier " or "Verbena." Some months after ventilation had been established in the above refrigera- tor, I was informed that not a pound of méat, poultry, nor game had been lost since the experiment was commenced, whereas previously many of the articles put into it had been spoiled. In due time I called upon Mr. Stevens to ascertain whether my labors in his hehalf had proved satisfactory, and if so, whether he would favor me with a letter setting forth this fact to the public. AArithout any reserve, he repliée!: "Certainly, with great pleasure, because you are doing good to the public, and it is my duty to inform the public of the services which you are capable of rendering them. If I were not lame," added Mr. Stevens, "I would go about and advertise you myself." VENTILATION IN NEW-YORK HOTELS—ALBEMARLE— BRE- VOORT HOUSE—FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL — ST. JAMES's— ST. NICHOLAS—BRANDRETH HOUSE—MERCHANTS' HOTEL —WrESTEEN—STEVENS HOUSE—INTERNATIONAL HOTEL. The New-York hôtels are probably unrivaled on the score of excellence and popularity. This is because they are usually managed by wide-awake men, who comxnvhend the public wants, and spare neither labor nor expense in adding to the attractions and substantial improvements of their establishments. Thus I am enabled to acknowle-dge, with eepial xoride anel j)leasure, the libéral patronage which 18 lias been bestowee! upon me by the hôtels in question. I hâve established ventilation, of one kind or another, in each of the hôtels enumerated above, and in the orcler in which they are named. The Albemarle was the first to show its appréciation of my new mode of ventilation, and there is now within the establishment one of my large refrigerators or provision houses, divided into apartments, each one of which is intended for the réception of some particular article of food, as fresh méat, cooked méats, fish, butter, pastry, etc. The Brevoort House, also, lias a large meat-house, and a large refrigerator, divieled into apartments, like the one last mentioned. One of thèse is used for the réception of eut méats, so that they may be ready at a moment's notice, when ordered by a guest ; another for cold méats ; a third for jellies, pastries, ice-creams, etc. ; and the others for fish, butter, etc., as already named. The Fifth Avenue Hôtel has been specially mentioned in the last section, in connection with Mr. Stevens. In ail of the other hôtels there are large ventilated meat- houses, so that the traveling public need not be in ignorance of the hôtels at which they may obtain superior roast beef or savory steaks and chops. In the Belmont the dining-room is ventilated, which was the first dining-room I had the pleasure of ventilating. It was rendered extremely unjpleasant by the smoke and misty vapors and odors from the kitchen, the atmosphère being so clouded at times that one could scarcely discern the face of a friend a short distance off. To remedy this difficulty, ventilation was established, which proved, according to the certificate of the proprietor—which may be found in another place—"a complète success." The atmosphère, at ail events, is free from smoke and kitchen odors. PORK-HOUSE VENTILATION—-MESSRS. SILYEEIIOEN, MILLE- MANN, AND LOCKETT—PORK CURED AT Fil TY DEGREES OF TEMPERATURE. A large xDroyjortion of the people of the United States, having no spécial regard for the old Mosaic law, aie great lovers of pork, and conséquent!}" the pork business is a 10 thriving and profitable brandi of trade. This présupposes the necessity of pork-houses for curing and preserving the méat, and as the dealers frequently hâve from twenty to one hundred thousand dollars of their stock on hand at a time, the question of perfect ventilation is an important one, especially as thousands of dollars worth of the méat is liable to spoil in a very short time. One of my earliest experiments in ventilation was for Mr. Silverhorn, in New York City, in 1862, who conducted a large pork-curing establishment. By référence to his card at the end of this pamphlet, it will be seen that the experi- ment was successful. The foui and elamp atmosphère of lus cooling-rooms was replacée! by one perfectly dry and pure ; his men ceased to complain of sickness ; and lie found his pork would cure as well in summer, with the aie! of my ven- tilating jurecess, as it had done in winter at a température of thirty-oight or thirty-nine degrees. I may aeld that there has been no instance of pork going into one of my ventila- ted houses in a sound and sweet condition that was not found equally sound and sweet when taken out. In 1863, I ventilated the pork-house of Mr. Millemann, who had been in the business forty years, and who had am- ple expérience with regard to the varions methods of cooling and ventilating pork-houses. Observing the thermometer as high as fifty degrees under my direction, he became very much alarmée!, as he had $40,000 worth of pork on hand, and he had been accustomed to as low a température as thirty-eight or forty degrees. He found, however, that his pork cured better at fifty degrees than it had ever clone with lower températures bythe old methods. [See his card in another place. ] It will be seen, therefore, that I use much less ice than is necessary in the old methoel. The most experienced dealers in pork deemed it requisite to hâve a température in their pork-houses of about thirty-six or thirty-eight degrees, but certainly never exceeeling forty degrees ; and when I pro- posed to employ a temj)erature of only fifty degrees, every one of them seemed to regard it with extrême skepticism. Hence it will be seen that it is the lack of ventilation in the old method which hastens the destruction of the méat, and that by ventilating efficiently, so as to carry off the foui air 20 rapidly, the pork may be cured and préservée! at a much higher température. Joseph Lockett, one of the largest and most expériences! English pork-packers in the country, deserves to be men- tioned in this connection. He availed himself of my appar- atus in one of his cooling-rooms as an exx^eriment, and find- ing that it afforded a perfect ventilation, as will be seen by référence to his card in another place, he had it apjjlied consecutively to ail his rooms. There can be no better authority ujpon the subject of pork-house ventilation than that of Mr. Lockett VENTILATION OF STABLES—HORSES SICKEN AND DIE FROM BAD AIR—ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS—YARNISH OF CAR- RIAGES DESTEOYED—COW STABLES—POISONOUS MILK— STATEMENT BY PEOFESSOR DOEEMUS. The ventilation of stables intended for the accommoda- tion of our domestic animais, and especially the horse, is a matter of very great importance. It is claimee! by those who hâve had ample expérience, that there are more horses dying annually from imperfect ventilation than ail other causes combined. Bad air is known to produce blindness in horses, which is becoming very prévalent, especially in New-York City, where horses are often crowded together in very small stables. A horse is frequently valued at five or ten thousand dollars, and sometimes more, and it is suituïs- ing that the owner of so valuable and noble an animal should ever endanger its health or life for the want of proper ven- tilation, which would cost but a trifling comparative sum. A horse, with its large, vigorous lungs, requires a large amount of fresh air, which it is impossible for it to obtain in a close or badly ventilated stable, especially when several ani- mais are crowded together in a small space. The horse then begins to droop and show signs of disease ; his ears grow cold ; his eyes lose their brilliancy, and finally his sight be- comes impaired ; his step becomes less firm anel elastic ; and when he is taken from the stable, it is not until lie has had time to take in copious draughts of fresh air, that he begins to brighten up or manifest his usual vigor anel animation. A horse is almost as susceptible to the influence of fresh air 21 as a human being is to that of laughing gas, and in propor- tion as he is deprived of it, in that proportion will his health and usefulness be impaired, even though his life may not be destroyed. A brother of mine in Boston, some years ago, had a valu- able horse which became sick in conséquence, as it was be- lieved, of a poorly ventilated stable. His life being de- spaired of, it was arranged to send him to a veterinary sur- geon in Cambridge, just across the river from Boston, for treatment. Three men were employed to conduct the ani- mal to his new quarters, one to lead him, and the other two to support him on either side, as lie was liable, from his great exhaustion, to stagger and fall to the ground. The bridge by which the river is crossed was finally gained, and hère the horse appeared to be reviving under the influence of the pure air sweeping across the bridge. His step was gradually becoming more firm and elastic, but ail at once he came to a sudden pause, and threw up his head as if some new élément of life had been infused into his veins. He stood quietly in this position for several minutes, with an apj3earance of delight and pleasure, and seemed to be in- stinctively taking into his lungs full draughts of the fresh air which he had so much needed, and which so re3vived him that in a short time he proceeded over the bridge with a vigorous step, without any support from the men in attend- ance. Let it not be forgotten, then, that fresh air is just as important to a horse as his food or drink. "The effects of air vitiated by animal eflluvia," say s Mr. Tomlinson, in his ' ' Rudimentary Treatise on Warming and Arentilation," "are évident in the diseases of the lower ani- mais when crowded together in confined places. The glanders of horses, the pip of fowls, and a peculiar disease in sheep, ail arise from this cause ; and it is stated that, for some years past, the English nation has been saved £10,000 a year in conséquence of the army veterinary surgeons adopt- ing a plan for the ventilation of the cavalry stables." The same writer quotes the well-known Dr. Arnott, who alludes to the want of knowledge among ail classes on the subject of ventilation, and states that he had heard at the Zoological Gardens of a class of animais where fifty out of sixty were killed in a month from putting them into a house O) which had no opening in it but a few inches in the floor. It is pointedly added that this was like putting the animais under an extinguisher. A noted lawyer of New York City, whose name I do not feel at liberty to publish, soliciteel me to ventilate his stables, saying that he had just sold, or more properly given away, a pair of horses for which he had recently paiel $0000, in conséquence of their sight becoming so much imiDahvel as to render them nearly useless. He attributed the disaster to imperfect ventilation, but did not know how to remeely the difficulty. He had employed a leading architect to ventilate his art gallery, library, kitchen, etc., but his efforts were fruitless, and lie was very zealous in the hope that I might produce better results by my improved System of ventilation. I hâve ventilated a great many stables belonging to the wealthy citizens of New York City, and always with e^ntire success. The atmosphère of those stables is generally stifling and offensive in a marked degree, and that horses con- fined within them should become blind, or sicken and die, need not excite our wonder. AArhen stables are properly ventilated, the air within them is always sweet and whole- some, and the horses or other animais which they may contain are in no danger of losing their health or lives. There is another reason why horse stables should be ventilated. The air within them is chargée! with ammoniacal vapor, which is not only injurious to horses, but tends to destroy the paint and varnish on carriages in a very short time. I hâve ventilated stables from this considération alone, having no référence to the health of the horses. Cow Stables.—Thèse, as well as horse stables, should be well ventilated, for milk is an indispensable article of food, and no cow can furnish wholesome milk if she is forcée! to breathe a foui or contaminated air. AAre need not expect to find pure milk where we hâve not pure air. The poison of contaminated air find s its way through the lungs into the blood of the animal, and the milk inevitably partakes of the poison. Much of the milk sold in New York is of this poisonous character. For illustration, I would refer to "an inspector' s report of the cow stable nuisance, ' ' as given to the public through the daily papers by our new Health Board. The stables referree! to were elevoid of light, venti- 23 lation anel sewerage, being overcrowded and overheated, with filthy, disgusting stalls, and a filthy condition of the animais themselves. The yard, say s the report, was filthy and wet, made so by the' manure, urine, and water, which emitteel a vile e>elor. Thèse offensive matters flowe'd through a dite'h into a " good-sized stagnant pond," which occupied the ground, constituting a k'decided nuisance1, pernicious to health and eomfort." So say s the report. The owner of the cows, whose name is to be seen upon his milk wagons, is A. Dettinger, Fiftieth Stivet, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. If this Mr. Dettinger should be punished, we think it woulel be sufficient to force him to drink the milk from his own cows. Prof essor Doremus, in a lecture lately deliveree! before the Free Ae-aelemy, in this City, on electricity as a motive pe>wer, suggested that a new electric engine, invented by Mr. L. C. Stewart, to which lie called spécial attention, might be found useful in propelling the street cars, instead of using so many horses, and remarked incidentally that the présence in our city of one hundred thousand horses, or more, with their accumulatee! fecal and rénal sécrétions, constantly exhaling a foui odor into the atmosphère, must hâve more or less of a pernicious influence upon the health ; and he thought it would be well, in a sanitary point of view, if we could disx>ense with some of our horses, and use a motor such as the above in their place. PALACES AND STABLES IN NEW YORK CITY—A WORD ABOUT "FRESH MILK"—PEEYISII MOTIIERS. AA""e cojiy the following article, under the above title, from Dr. Morris Mattson's " Facts for the People," etc., from which we hâve previously quoted upon the subject of foui or noxious air. " New York City being the great commercial emporium of the United States," say s Dr. Mattson, " we hâve a great deal of wealth, with ail of the refinement and luxury which usually accompanies it, and particularly very splendid up- town résidences, which are sometimes designated palaces. This is ail very well, but when it is found that those palaces are frequently in close connection with horse and cow stables, 24 one begins to lose his relish for what may be considérée! the fascinations and charms of fashionable life. If, ineleeel, one is a lover of pure air, one would be more likely to sigh for a cottage upon the hillside than a palace in the city. "But our chief business, in this article, is to speak of a certain up-town palace, owned by a wealthy gentleman, who was the owner also of four or five splendid horses, costing him five or six thousand dollars apiece, and an equally splendid cow, which he had selected from the finest breeds, and for which he paid an exorbitant x^rice. The horses were to gratify his own taste, the cow to gratify the taste of his wife, who had frequently told him that there was nothing so désirable as 'fresh milk'' for the coffee, and fresh milk also for the children. She had heard about slop-fed cows, anel had no notion of using milk which came from such ques- tionable sources ; she wanted pure, fresh milk from a cow of lier own. " This ail looked very reasonable in theory, and the in- dulgent husband, having xmrchased the animais in question, was obliged to hâve a stable for their accommodation. But where to locate it was a difficult question to answer. He knew it was fashionable for New York millionaires to hâve stables adjacent to their houses, and he had no objection to being in the fashion in this particular, but, unfortunately, he had no spare ground upon which to erect a stable. After due considération, there seemed to be but one alternative, which was that of placing the stable under ground ; and one of his poetical neighbors assured him that this was a ' brilliant conception,' inasmuch as the stable would be ont of sight, and oui of the way. The thought was not entertained for a moment that cows and horses need an abundance of fresh air, and that this fresh air, with its vitalizing oxygen, is quite as important to them as their daily food and drink. "The stable was finally completed, under the superin- tendence of a noted architect, who had it furnished with a number of 'ventilating flues,' which, however, in accordance with one of Dr. Franklin' s notions, seemed more inclined to ' draw downward ' than upward. In due time the cow and the horses were installed in their new quarters ; but scarcely a week had elapsed when it was discovered that the stable was emitting a most disagreeable odor. The 25 ' ventilating flues' did not seem to be rendering much ser- vice. It happened about this time that the gentleman of the palace was taking a walk before sunrise, scenting the keen, pure air of the morning ; and upon his return, lie very naturally opened the stable door to look in upon his splendid cow and favorite horses ; but, alas ! his unwilling nostrils were saluted by such a perfume from the inclosure, as to render him quite uncertain as to whether he would re- quire any breakfast, and he was not at ail sure that the 'fresh miW from the cow, of which his wife had said so much, would be particularly agreeable in his coffee. ' ' Time passed on, and the cow began to droop and sicken ; the horses also looked dull, weary, and jaded, with ail of the signs of disease, and it was deemed expédient to consult a veterinary surgeon in regard to their health. Ail this time the poor animais were sickening because they had not enough of pure air to breathe, the atmosphère within the stable being too horrible for description. Escaping from the inclosure, it permeated the house, and was enough to sicken the whole family. Meanwhile, the milk of the cow was still used for family purposes, was given to the children, was put into the tea and coffee, and ail without a suspicion that the milk was literally a poison. A cow can not yield pure milk unless she has pure air to breathe ; shut her up in a close stable, so that the air about her will soon become con- taminated by the poisonous carbonic acid gas from lier lungs, and the foui émanations from her body, and she will soon show unmistakable signs of disease. Her milk, in the mean time, will partake of the disease of her body ; indeed, it would seem as though the udder of the poor sick cow was a sort of drainage whereby nature soughtto relieve her gênerai System of some of its impurities. Thèse impurities become incorporated with the milk, which is unfit to be taken into the human stomach. Every intelligent mother knows that her milk is influenced by the condition of her System. If she is peevish and fretful, (from well-assigned causes, perhaps,) her nursing child will be peevish and fretful ; if she partakes of food which déranges her digestive organs, her child will be sure, almost, to suffer similar de- rangements ; if she swallows a cathartic, the cathartic effect of the drug will be manifest in the child through the influ- 26 ence of lier milk. The cow is no exception to the rule, and her milk should never be given to tender infants and young children without feeling assured that the animal is perfectly healtliy. "Stables, such as we hâve described, hâve frequently been ventilated by Mr. Gouge, rendering the air pure and sweet, which is a great boon to the poor animais inclosed within them, and an equally great boon to the families to whom they belong ; for, living in palaces, they should enjoy the comfort, and pleasure, and delight which riroperly be- long to palatial resielences, of which pure air is the first and most important item. "Houses and stables shoulcl not be adjacent to each other ; or the latter, to say the least, should be ventilated in accordance with the x^lan which has been prox>osed and suc- cessfully executed by Mr. Gouge." WATER-CLOSET VENTILATION. Many of our finest houses are rendered almost intoléra- ble by the water-closets, the foui odors of which may be dé- tectée! from the basement to the attic, and yet the remedy is Xierfectly simxue and easily applieel. The unwholesome odors and gases may be readily exchanged for the sweet, jmre air. In my mode of ventilating water-closets, the foui air beneatli the seat is made to ascend through a flue, by means of a rarified atmosphère, carrying with it cigar smoke, or other disagreeable odors above the seat, or within the in- closure or apartment in which the closet is located ; and thus the minglee! impurities of the atmosxohere, so offensive to the sensé of smell, and so injurious to the health, are scattered uipon the wings of the wind. I hâve ventilated numerous closets for our wealthy families, and always to their great delight and satisfaction. SMOKING-ROOMS—REGARD FOR THE HEALTH OF YOUR WIFE AND FAMILY. Thèse should always be ventilated, whether they exist in X")ublic places or j)rivate houses. Even the accustomed smoker would be better not to inhale over and over a^ain the smoke emitted from his cigar or pipe. Nor is the idea a 27 very pleasant one of taking into one's lungs the tobacco smoke which x)roceeds from the mouth of another, mingled usually with an offensive breath, and not unfrequently the noxious eftluvia from ulcerated gums and elecaying teeth. No true gentleman, who seeks the indulgence of his cigar, will allow himself to inflict the smoke ux^on others who may regarel it as a nuisance. Hence, ventilation is necessary ; and in that case you may smoke your cigar in the x^'esence of your wife or daughter, or some anti-tobacco friend, without creating a feeling of unpleasantness or disgust. AA'here smoking-rooms are not ventilated, the paper upon the walls, the furniture, and every thing within the room, become satu- rateel with the smoke, and are rendered very disagreeable. Many fine houses hâve been ruinée! by excessive cigar smok- ing, as the walls and wood-work retain the tobacco odor for a long x^eriod. Besides, your dresses become so tainted by the smoke as to render you disagreeable, in many instances, to laelies and gentlemen seated near you in cars, omnibuses, anel public places. Every considération then of refinement and delicacy, with a due regard for the comfort, well-being, and health of those about you, should either prompt you to give ut) the habit of smoking or to hâve your apartments ventilated so as to conduct the smoke quickly away. Even the health of your wife may suffer from the poisonous effects of your e'igar ; and yet she may not complain, as she does not wish to de^uive you of any of your enjoyments. Rooms ventilated by my process are at once freed from the smoke, as well as any other impurity in the atmosphère, so that there is no taint nor disagreeable odor left behinel. SUB-CELLARS, BASEMENTS, ETC.—GOODS SAYED FROM RUSTINCr. Cellars, basements, etc., may be supplied with a pure air by my process of ventilation, so as to be fit placvs of abode, or suitable for the storage of goods which otherwise might be injured by the dampness. Attention to this matter would be the means, oftentimes, of saving thousands of dollars to the merchant, by the préservation of his goods, to say nothing of the preservatton of the health and lives of the occultants of those places. There was a basement some years ago, in Cortlandt St., 28 adjoining the AArestern Hôtel, devoted to the sale of "Yankee Notions," in which were inclueled many articles of hardware, which, owing to dampness, rusted badly, so that a large amount of property was destroyed, or rendered unsaleable. In addition to this, a very useful employée of the establishment was constantly indisposée!, and finally left his situation, believing that the place was unhealthy. Under thèse circumstances I was employed to ventilate the place ; and after my task was accomplished, there was no more rusting of the goods, and the sick employée returned to his post without making further complaints of ill health. FRUIT ROOMS—PRESERVATION OF FRUIT IN ITS NATURAL STATE — STRAWBERRIES KEPT TEN DAYS, AND RIPE PEACHES THREE WEEKS. Millions of money are expended annually in the cultiva- tion anel perfection of fruit, which is becoming almost a mania with many of our fruit-growers ; and out of this has arisen a heavy and profitable business in fruit. Fruit-rooms are needed by ail dealers in fruit, by the keepers of hôtels and restaurants, by expo-rters of fruit, and by families who purchase fruit in considérable quantifies as a luxury. The fruit thus accumulated is worth hundreds and frequently thousands of dollars, and as it is extremely liable to perish, it is important to improve the me>thod by which it can be préservée!. AVhat is required for this pur- pose is a pure dry air, and the instant abstraction, as soon as it appears, of every noxious gas, along with a properly regulated température—ail of which conditions are furnished by my mode of ventilation. Strawberries, which are the most perishable of ail the fruits, hâve been kept in a good condition for ten days, and ripe peaches for three weeks. Thèse experiments hâve been made repeatedly, and par- ticularly by Mr. David Tilton, of Tompkins Market, so that tliero can be no doubt of the correctness of my statement. Mr. Tilton was so well pleased with his success in pre- serving perishable fruits, that he employed me to construct ^fruit-house for him on board of the steamer Liberty, Capt. AA'ilson, about to sail for Havana, for the purpose of export- ing peaches and pears to that city. Let it be hère under- 29 stood that three quarters of the peaches and x)ears forwarded to Havana, although packeel in ice with great rare, perish before their arrivai at that port. I constructed a house for Mr. Tilton in the hold of the vessel, (the last place that would be dreamed of for the préservation of délicate and perishable fruits,) large enough to receive four hundred baskets of peaches and Bartlett pears. The fruit was duly put on board, but with the belief of every body but Mr. Tilton and myself that but few if any of the • peaches and pears would ever arrive in a sound condition at their place of destination. This opinion was regarded as ail the more plausible because the fruit was in the hold of the vessel, where we expect to find the odor of bilge water and various noxious gases. The vessel sailed, and in nine days the fruit was taken out of the house in which it had been inclosed, and with the exception of about a peck of peaches in close proximity with the ventilating pipe, it was found in a per- fect condition, and according to Mr. Mills, the steward (who, by the way, had jirophesied that not a single peach or pear would ever reach Havana in a sound state), it could hâve been returned to New York in an equally good condition. The secret of this désirable préservation of fruit lies chiefly in the ready abstraction from the fruit-chamber of dampness and every noxious gas, which, if permittee! to remain, would cause the speedy destruction of the fruit. SHOW-W^INDOW VENTILATION. In many cases this is exceedingly important. With proper ventilation the moisture is TU'evemted from accumu- lating upon the glass, which freezes when the weather is sufficiently cold, and renders the glass imx^ervious to the sight. Besides, the freezing is liable to fracture the glass, which is usually quite expensive. A pane of glass in one of the show-Windows of the late International Hôtel, New York City, was fractured in this way, and could not be replaced short of several hundred dollars. My mode of ventilating a show-window is différent from that employed in any other kind of ventilation, although the principle is obviously the same. The store connected with the window may, if desired, be ventilated, as well as 30 the winelow itseïf, anel a pure air furnished to the whole of the Connecting axxirtments. A show-window not ventilated is a hot, dry place in sum- mer, and goods displaye»d in it are frequently injureel, or rendercel unsaleable. Straw goods are liable to be injured, and silks and ribbons hâve their colors changée!. Me>at and poultry hung up in Windows for disx>lay ai'e in much danger of spoiling. The very choicest goods which a store can produce are generally placed in tlie show-Windows ; and it is désirable that they should be j)reserved from change or injury. This may be accomplished by my System of ven- tilation, which lias been successfully adopted. REFRIGERATORS. Refrigerators of the smaller sizes abound in the market, and are purchased largely by families on ae-count of their cheapness. Some of them claim to be ventilated, but it is in a very limited degree, and conscquently articles of food can not be preserved in them for a long period. Every refrigerator, whether large or small, should be perfectly ventilated, whereby ail the noxious or un wholesome gases which are constantly forming are carriee! off, anel pure, dry, cold air furnished in their place. It is only under thèse conditions that food is wholesome or fit to be eaten ; for if foui air is allowed to accumulate in the refrigerator, it will be absorbed by the food, and its healthful qualifies more or less impaired. It is the présence of this foui air which causes food to undergo décomposition, rendering it thereby unfit for use. Refrigerators of a small size may be ventilated by my method ; but I do not prétend to furnish them to the public. Refrigerators on a large scale, however, together with fruit and provision-closets and meat-houses, I am always ivaely to construct to order, and I hâve no évidence that they can be thoroughly and efficiently ventilated exe'epting by the plan which I hâve secured by my letters patent. The air is always pure, sweet, and dry in my ventilated refrigerators ; and I hâve stated elsewhere that fresh méat will keep within them, during the hot weather of summer for three weeks, and retain in the mean time its red color • 31 strawberries wiil keep ten days ; îTpe r^aehes anel délicate pears will kecp three weeks, or longer, and so on to the end .of a long chapter. The odor of one kind of food, however strong, will not be inrparteel to any other, because the odors and gases, as already exiplained, are not retaineel sufficiently long to undergo absorption by the provisions présent. The reader is referree! to my certificates, in another part of this pamphlet, in proof of my assertions, and I only ask of the public to judge me by my works. FACTS CONCERNING THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT, BUTTER, AND MILK—VENTILATED MILK AND BUTTER HOUSES— TESTIMONY OF MRS. G. S. ROBBINS. It is a curious fact that fresh méat, suddenly frozen, will undergo a destructive change in its central or interior parts, so as to be unfit for use. Dr. Kane mentions a similar fact as taking place in the Arctic régions, with the thermometer fifty or sixty degrees below zéro. The walrus anel other méats, which he was enabled to obtain in those high lati- tudes, freezing suddenly, underwent décomposition in the interior, greatly to his surprise, and coule! not be used as food. The pork-packers acknowledge the loss of pork, now and then, from a similar cause. I know of but one explana- tion of the phenomenon. The frozen crust of the méat is probably impervious to the gases of the interior, so that they can not escape, and décomposition ensues precisely in the same way that fresh méat decomx>oses or xmtrifies in a close, unventilated refrigerator, notwithstanding the présence of the ice. One thing at least is very apparent, namely, that in preserving fresh méat we need something more than a cold atmosphère ; and I hâve elsewhere stated that in my ventila- ted refrigerators a température of only fifty degrees is ail that is required for the préservation of fresh méat. In contrast with the facts above stated, it is equally curi- ous that in some sections of our country, and also in some parts of Mexico, fresh méat hung up in the open air, with- out any sait, even in the hot weather of summer, will not undergo any unfavorable e-hange, but gradually dry up and remain fit for food. One explanation is, that certain pre- vailing winds sweep away ail of the gases exhaled by the 32 méat as fast as they appear, so that there are no noxious agencies remaining by which the méat can be deconq^osed. Tliere is a curious fact, also, in relation to milk, the in- terior portion of which frequently becomes sour, while the exterior portions continue sweet. This change takes x>lace, notwithstanding the milk may be placée! in a cold refrigera- tor, and the change occurs more speeelily when the vessel containing the milk is closely covered. This difficulty in re- lation to milk has induced many of our citizens to apply to me for ventilateel milk-houses, which they hâve used with much satisfaction, and which should hâve a x>lace in every hôtel, restaurant, and private family. Butter, as well as milk, is extremely sensitive to the in- fluence of a pent-ux) and foui atmosphère, such as we usually find in refrigerators. A foui or strong odor will taint the very best butter in a few hours. Those who are using my ven- tilated butter-houses and refrigerators hâve no trouble in keeping their butter sweet and good for a long period of time. With regard to the préservation of milk, I might quote several authorities, but will content myself with that of the well-known Mrs. G. S. Robbins, who deserves so well of lier country for the noble services which she has rendered to our suffering soldiers at the McDougall Hospital at Fort Schuy- ler. One of my large refrigerators was placée! in the hos- pital through her influence, and after the use of it for six months in connection with the "Ladies' Kitchen" she says : " It is certainly a most admirable invention, enabling us to keep, in the most perfect préservation, during the unusual heat of the past summer, milk, xDoultry, méats, fruits, vegeta- bles, etc., with, as I hâve frequently heard the steward remark, a very economical consumption of ice." BANKING-HOUSES—JUDGE HILTON AND HIS STABLE—VEN- TILATION OF THE NEW YORK BANK—PURE AIR A VAL- UABLE PANACEA. Banking-houses are usually much in need of ventilation, because the directors, cashiers, clerks, and others employed, undergoing much severe labor, need a full and constant sup- ply of fresh air ; it is equally important that the poisonous carbonic acid gas which is given off at every breath from 33 their lungs, and the poisonous effluvia also which are ex- haled from their bodies, should be carried speedily away from the apartments ; for if breathed over and over again, as is always the case where ventilation is déficient, the blood, according to the testimony of physicians, undergoes détéri- oration, and disease is often an inévitable conséquence. The well-known Arew York Bank may be mentioned as an instance of this imperfect ventilation, which came to my knowledge through the instrumentality of Judge Henry Hilton of New York City, whose stable I had ventilated very mucli to his satisfaction. Owing to this eàrcumstance he was kind enough to give me a letter of introduction to the cashier of the above bank, the well-known Mr. Meeker, suggesting that it would be well to employ me to ventilate the place. I found that the fréquent complaints of its im- perfect ventilation were well founded. The atmosphère was extremely close and vitiated. Much had been done to ven- tilate the place, but ail efforts had proved unsuccessful. A number of flues had been constructed so as to open into the cashier' s room, with the hox^e of obtaining adéquate ventila- tion, but it answered no good purpose. I proceeded at once to put my system of ventilation into opération, and it was no sooner accomplishee! than every person employed in the cashier' s room perceived an immédiate and almost mag- ical change in the atmosphère. Compared with the depress- ing iufluence of the foui air which they had been so long accustomed to breathe, it was like some delicious and renovating ether ; and it had the effect, as I am informed, of restoring one of the clerks, who had been for a long time an invalid, to very good health. I hâve not thought of avail- ing myself of my patent as a means of curing disease, but I get such marked and brilliant results, now and then, in that direction, that I feel constrained to speak of pure air as one of the very best remédies or panaceas which we Dossess. WASHINGTON CITY POST OFFICE—A FACT FOR THE SKEPTICAL —ORDERS FROM JAY COOKE AND GEORGE W. RIGGS, THE NOTED BANKERS. Post offices, like banking houses, need ventilation now and then. The mail-bags and leather pouches, when ex- posed to a damp atmosphère, are liable to become mouldy, 34 and the atmosphère itself is veiy objectionable to those who hâve any regard for their health. Ail that is hère said will apply to the j)Ost office in AATashington City, which I had the pleasure of ventilating, and I can not well refrain from apxDending the following letter by the Hon. S. J. Bowen, the postmaster. The letter was written to a gentleman in New York City, without a suspicion, so far as I know, that it would come under my observation : Washington, December 20, 1865. Mr. Gat : There has been in opération in the post office in this city one of Gouge's Ventilators for the past two months. It was put in for the purpose of ventilating the basement, in which are stored the mail-bags and pouches from which a supply for other offices i3 drawn. Before the Ventilator was put up, the air in the room was damp and impure, so much so as to be very disagreeable and unhealthy to persons remaining in it any length of time ; and the leather pouches would be covered with mould and the sacks and bags with mildew. The Ventilator has removed both the bad air and the dampness, and a person can discover no différence in the air from that in the rooms above. The pouches and bags are now perfectly diy, and we think the Ventilator has already saved to the Department double its cost in preventing injury to them. It was put up as an experiment, to be paid for if it succeeded. We would not hâve it removed for any considération whatever. I think it will be very generally adopted in this city. Truly yours, etc., S. J. BOWEN, Postmaster. The experiment of ventilating the AATashington post office having been entirely successful, it attracted the attention of Jay Cocke and George W. Riggs, the notée! bankers, who were so much pleased with what had been done, that each one complimented me with an order to ventilate his banking-house in AArashington City. BANK-VAULTS. Thèse are not unfrequently pervaded by a damx> atmos- phère, which causes books,. pax^ers, and documents to be- come mouldy. Proper ventilation will reneler the air pure and dry, so that there will be no tendency of the books and papers to mould. POWDEE- MAGAZINES. Thèse magazines, 1 am informed, are very liable to be- come damp, which injures the powder, destroymg its gran- 35 ular condition, and causing it to form in concrète masses. An ordnance officer at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, who had acquired some knowledge of my System of ventilation, sug- gested to me that it would be likely to prove valuable in . connection with powder-magazines, and confirmed what is mentioned above in relation to the powder. He felt per- suaded that my Atmospheric Ventilator would obviate every difficulty, and save much money to the Government and others who deal in the article. He spoke in commen- dation of another feature of the apparatus, which, no doubt, would be a desideratum, namely, the safe and efficient light which it would afford to the interior of the magazine. This light, it may be added, would be free from ail danger of causing an explosion of the powder. SAILING VESSELS, ETC.—COMMODORE FOOTE. My method of ventilation can be applied to sailing vessels, ■steamboats, emigrant ships, etc., as easily and successfuUy as to school-rooms, churches, kitchens, sleeping-rooms, or parlors ; and yet I hâve never had an opportunity of venti- lating a sea-going vessel. I was applied to by Commodore Foote, just previous to his death, to examine the receiving- ship North Carolina, lying at our navy-yard, which he was very anxious to hâve ventilateel; but the matter was referred to the authorities at AArashington, and before it was decided, the death of Commodore Foote took place at the Astor House. Since then there has been no action in the matter. I hope I may yet hâve an opportunity of rendering my ser- vices in this species of ventilation. An old sea-captain tells me that the hold of a ship, in which the cargo is principally stored, is sure to become very damp if ventilation is not resorted to, and a copious conden- sation of moisture will take place on the under surface ot the deck and the sides of the vessel. The water thus con- denscd will fall from the deck upon the cargo, and injure or destroy ail perishable goods, as silks, cloths, sugars, teas, etc. As efficient ventilation would prevent the difficulties hère spoken of, merchants and shippers might save them- selves from heavy losses without much expenditure of money. Ventilation would also préserve the timbers of a 36 ship, which are rotted by foui air. Ships, it would seem, are sometimes completely rotted by foui air within the short period of three years. It would certainly be economy for every ship-owner to incur a slight expense in ventilating his ship, rather than to take the chance of its total destruction. CHURCHES—A NEW MODE OF VENTILATION TESTED—ANEC- DOTE OF A DISTINGUISIIED CLERGYMAN. If it is not désirable for people to go to sleep during divine service, then it is important to ventilate your churches. It is not always dull sermons that make people drowsy ; it is much more frequently the foui air of a church, which deadens ail the faculties of the mind, and induces that drowsy condition, so unpleasant to the individual, and yet so difficult to be overcome. Sleepiness in church and in other public places, in which human beings are densely packed together, is not dissimilar, in many instances, from the sleepiness and stupor induced by breathing the carbonic acid gas emitted from a charcoal furnace in a close room. The lungs of the auditors are indeed so many char- coal furnaces, throwing out every instant copious volumes of carbonic acid gas ; and as churches are seldom or never ventilated, it is no wonder that people go to sleep. The only wonder is, that they do not frequently go to sleep never again to wake ; and it will yet be found and ac- knowledged, by those who investigate hygienic and sanitary laws, that human life is frequently shortened by a slow and graduai process of poisoning, induced by the noxious air of churches and other public places. It is my privilège, I trust, though I do not do it with any captious spirit, to speak of a well-known church in which a new experiment in ventilation was tried. And, by the way, if ever a church needed ventilation, it was that one. It is densely crowded, particularly in the evenings ; and if any one wishes to know how much bad air fie can inhale in the course of two hours, without undergoing positive suffocation or asphyxia, he has only to make an evening visit to said church. The Board of Trustées finally concluded that a little less carbonic acid gas, and a little more jiure, fresh air, would be a elesideratum ; and, in 37 accordance with that wise décision, they agreed to avail themselves of the services of an educated and distinguished gentleman, who had introduced a new mode of ventilation, which was highly applauded by some of our popular jour- nals. Explanations were made by him to those interested ; plans were drawn upon paper ; and everything pertaining to the new method seemed to promise entire succes's. The experiment was duly undertaken ; a large number of men were employed ; the parties worked diligently for three months, and, as a matter of course, used up a large amount of money. Unfortunately, however, for some unexpected reason, the experiment did not work well, and the enter- prise was finally suspended, never again to be resumed. Anxious to learn the particulars of the above experiment, and accidentally meeting the distinguished pastor of the church, with whom I had not the pleasure of an acquaint- ance, I nevertheless took the liberty of interrogating him upon the subject. Pausing for a moment, he made this sen- tentious, emphatic, and characteristic reply, the words of which I can put on paper, but without giving any idea of the peculiar inflections of his voice, or the curious blending, as it seemed to me, of the humor and pathos which he in- fused into his answer. He said, "They hâve been at work three months, they hâve expended three thousand dollars* and they hâve not got fresh air enough into the church to feed three fies. " I hâve had an informai application to ventilate the above church, and if an arrangement should be made, I will agrée— my motto being "No success, no pay"—to ventilate the church efficiently for much less than the above amount, or charge nothing for my services. I would so arrange the ventilation as to furnish an abundant supply of pure and warm air in the winter, while in the summer the heat radi- ated from the numerous gas-buraers would not be felt. I would also relieve the congrégation from the uncomfortable draughts of air proceeding from the Windows in the galler- ies, which are thrown open during the services for the ad- mission of fresh air in order that the people may not actually undergo suffocation. Let this church be properly ventilated, and the noted * The sum actually expended was $5,000. 38 pastor, though he may not be more éloquent and impassioned, will be likely to add ton years to his pastoral life. Constant dropping, it is said, will wear out a stone ; and so the breath- ing of foui air, at fréquent intervais, along with grenat physi- cal and mental effort, can not fail to make an ultimate im- pression even upon the healthful and vigorous System of the pastor in question. It was found that the soldiers in the English barracks, near London, in conséquence of imperfect ventilation, die! not live as long by ten years, upon an aver- age, as the agricultural population, outside of the barracks, under similar conditions of life, excepting that they had a pure and wholesome air. INSUFFICIENCY OF FLUES OR CHIMNEYS AS A MEANS OF VEN- TILATION—ORIGIN OF CHIMNEYS—DIVIDED FLUES. Chimneys are an old institution—so old, indeed, that we are unable to détermine who was the inventor, or in what country they were first employed. AAre are told of chimneys in Arenice before the middle of the fourteenth century ; in Padua, before 1368 ; and of a certain lord of Padua who came to Rome, and finding no chimneys in the inn where he lodged, because at that time fire was kindled in a hole in the middle of the floor, lie caused two chimneys, like those that had long been used in Padua, to be constructed by the work- people he had brought with him. But the claim of the Italians to the invention of chimneys is questioned upon the supposition that they existed in England as early as the twelfth century. However this may be, chimneys began to multiply during the reign of the Tudors, and the subject be- coming invested with a sort of artistic interest, it was said that "the chimney shaft became a prominent and beautiful feature in buildings." A little later on, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, chimneys were regarded as an indispensable ' 'luxury' ' —that is the historié word— and apologies were made to visitors if they could not be accommodated with rooms provided with chimneys. Ladies, it is said, were frequently sent out to other houses in which they could enjoy, as already quoted, "the luxury of a chimney." We hâve sadly deteriorated since the reign of "Queen Bess ;" for, although three centuries hâve elapsed, our houses are so con- 39 structed that the existence of a room with a chimney is rather the exception than the rule. Hence, the question has been pertinently asked by a distinguished writer—"When will architects and builders be convinced of the fact that fire- places, as well as human beings require constant supplies of fresh air, and that it is their duty to provide every room with air-channels, placed so as to feed the lire without annoying the inmates V ' Although we hâve a better ventilation with a chimney than without it, yet it is incumbent upon me to point out the com- paratively imperfect ventilation which a chimney usually affords. A chimney or flue is described by Dr. Arnott as a pump—"a sucking or drawing air pump,"—which is relied upon as a means of producing an upward current of air, and thereby procuring efficient ventilation. But that it no- toriously fails is confirmed by our every day expérience. AA"e find houses, stables, and public buildings supplied with chimneys, and yet we do not find good ventilation. I hâve spoken of the offensive condition of the atmosphère in the stable of Mr. Paran Stevens, and yet there was an ample flue at the head of each stall, with a large trap or ventilator in the skylight. If flues could hâve been of service, Mr. Stevens ought to hâve had a good atmosphère in his stable. I hâve spoken also of the New- York Bank as having a num- ber of flues opening into the cashier' s room, but without any good resuit in the way of ventilation. I hâve ventilated so many foui places in which there were flues or chimneys, that I need no other proof of the total inadequacy of this mode of ventilation. I hâve spoken of the upward currents of air in chim- neys, and if we could hâve those upward currents continu- ally in motion, the problem of ventilation would be solved, and we should be troubled no more with a foui or vitiated atmosphère. But instead of thèse upward currents, it is a fact that we frequently hâve downward currents, and hère is the real difficulty. Chimneys are not always then a lux- ury, as in the days of Queen Elizabeth. It has been con- ceded by many distinguished writers, including Dr. Frank- lin, that the currents in chimneys are irregular, passing downward frequently as well as upward. It has been stated that chimneys situated in the north wall of a house 40 do not draw so well at those in the south wall, because when cooled by north winds they are apt to "draw downwards." Dr. Franklin has an elaborate explanation of what lie terms the ascending and descending currents in chimneys, which vary according to the period of the day or partieular sea- son of the year. I hâve frequently satisfied myself of the existence of those downward currents in the flues of horse stables, which I hâve so frequently ventilated for our wealthy citizens, and in which the atmosphère is usually very offensive. A gentleman of distinction, connected with the New York Historical Society, applied to me to ventilate the rooms of the Society, and stated that, according to his ex- périence and observations, currents of air come down flues or chimneys oftener than they go up. A heated flue, it may be remarked, is. of course more efficient than one not heated, but even this does not always furnish a good ventilation ; and I désire, in this place, to in- vite attention to the important fact that heat communicated to a flue or chimney from a stove, furnace, range, or other tire, at a distance from the flue, is far less powerful or efficient for ventilating purposes than heat originating directly within the flue. This fact lies at the foundation of ail my improvements in ventilation, as will be explained more fully hereafter. Divided Jlues, or what perhaps may be termed double Jlues, hâve had some réputation in this country as a means of ventilation. This, we believe, is an English idea engrafted upon our stock of American notions and devices. It pré- supposes an out draught of heated air from the interior of a building through one tube or flue, with an insetting current of the colder external air through the other tube. In cold weather we hâve, without doubt, such a resuit as this ; but when the external air is only a few degrees colder than that within the building, we believe it is not claimed that the action within the tubes is such as to produce any perceptible ven- tilation. During the greater portion of the summer, there- fore, we should be without ventilation, while in winter we may hâve such a volume of cold air rushing into our apart- ments as to render the atmosphère chilly or uncomfortable. The Législative Hall at Albany was ventilated upon this plan in 1862, but I never understood that the experiment was successful. 41 THE NEW METHOD OF VENTILATION EXPLAINED—THEORIES CONSIDERED — EXPENSE OF THE GAS — ADAPTATION OF THE VENTILATOR — LEADING POINTS OF THE VENTILA- TOR— PROFESSOR DRAPER'S MODE OF VENTILATION— ADVANTAGES OF THE VENTILATOR. When we deal with a motive power, and wish to produce practical results, we know that the cause must be equal to the effect. Ail Systems of ventilation, therefore, which do not recognize an adéquate motive power, must be failures ; and thus we hâve had repeated failures in this department of art and science, notwithstanding very plausible and apparently brilliant théories, which, in some instances, hâve seemed to captivate the judgment of able and distinguished men. Théories should not be valued in référence to ventilation unless it is shown that they are in correspondence with prac- tical results of an unquestionable and satisfactory character. If a church, kitchen, parlor, stable, banking-house or other place is to be ventilated, the first question should be, Can the foui air be got out, and pure air be made to take its place \ If the answer is Yes, and the work is duly accomplished, it will be time enough to look after a theory, or to discuss problems in science and philosophy. AA'hen air is made to ascend through a flue in virtue of a positive irrésistible force, which lias been created artificially, then, and not till then, shall we hâve a perfect ventilation ; and this desideratum accomplished, we need not trouble nor vex ourselves about the upward and downward currents of air in chimneys, or other nice theoretical questions or problems. The motive force to which référence is made above is the one through which our mode of ventilation is always accomplished. It consists of heated currents of air, which ascend through a flue, and by the strong ascensional power which is thus created every vestige of foui air —every unpleasant odor—every atom of the noxious gases—are car- ried irresistibly away and scattered to the four winds. The air within the ventilator is heated and set in motion by the combustion of gas, kérosène, etc., as already described, (see Description of Cut, opposite title-page,) and it is this device which we hâve secured by Letters-Patent— 42 which has enabled us to ventilate so many foui places to the entire satisfaction of our emx^loyens. AAre will assert again, that a jet of gas burning within a flue, properly arrangée!, » has a remarkable j>ower in rarefying the air and producing powerful up-moving currents. Heat communicated to a flue or chimney by a stove, or furnace, external to it, as x>re- viously stated, is not to be compared with this in its power of producing ascensional currents, and withal can not be employée! so continuously, nor with so little exx>ense, as the jet of gas. The apparatus, as a whole, with its lantern, flues, etc., constitutes what is termed "Gouge's Atmospheric Ventila- tor," and, when properly adjusted, will effectually ventilate the dampest cellar or basement, the deepest subterranean vault, or the foulest "black hole" that can be imagined, or brought within the range of its power. The expense of the gas used for ventilating purposes is trifling. Commencing with an ordinary burner, we soon establish a strong up-moving current within the ventilator, which, after a short time, can be maintained by a feeble jet of gas, not amounting to more than one foot per hour. Thus we hâve an efficient motive power, operating constantly, day and night, without the necessity of any supervision or attendance, producing the most satisfactory ventilation, and furnishing a full supply of fresh air to one' s kitchen, stable, sleeping-room, or other apartment. Adaptation of the Ventilator, Etc.—Simple and ob- vious as is the principle of ventilation herein set forth, yet the proper adaptation of the apparatus to the various uses which the public require is often extremely difficult. In- deed, it is only by long expérience, and a close application to the business in which I am engaged, that I hâve become successful ; and I am free to confess that I hâve often made failures in my first attempts at ventilation ; but in no in- stance hâve I ever abandoned a task which I had under- taken until I succeeded to the satisfaction of myself and employer. There are many important points which must not be overlooked in arranging plans for ventilation ; for the adaptation of the means to the end varies with the place and locality—varies also with the charaeter of the ventilation required. There are many détails which need 43 spécial attention, as, for example, the calibre of the venti- lating pipes ; the best position of the pipes in relation to the apartment to be ventilated; the proper adjustment of them in those cases in which from necessity they require to be partly horizontal ; and the proper arrangement or adjust- ment also of their orifices, which is a matter of the very first importance. It is not common for individuals engaged in a sx^ecialty to speak of failures in their business or profession, but I prefer to do so. Some years ago the well-known Mr. Ives, the proprietor of the Albemarle Hôtel, in New York City, employed me to ventilate his larder or provision house for a stipulated sum. I made several failures in the attempt, known only to myself, and expended five times as much money as I was to receive for the work. Finally, however, I succeeded, to the entire satisfaction of Mr. Ives, and his card of commendation may be seen among my testimonials in another place. Since then lie lias employed me to ven- tilate other parts of his house. I make thèse statements for no other purpose than to show how much care and judgment are required to accomplish the work of ventila- tion successfuUy. Leading Points of the Ventilator.—1. It is simple in its construction, and never gets out of repair. 2. It re- quires no skill in its use, and no one to be in attendance, excepting to light the gas in the lantern. 3. It costs but a trifle for the gas by which it is keqit in opération, and is therefore extremely economical. 4. It can be readily in- troduced into any house, building, or inclosure which re- quires to be ventilated. 5. It will remove the foui air quickly, and as no other method of ventilation, ever yet discovered, is capable of doing. Professor Draper's Mode of Ventilation.—Pro- fessor Draper, who is highly distinguished as an author and a man of science, recently published a Text-Book on Phys- iology, Hygiène, etc., from which we hâve taken a motto for our title-page, and from which, also, we purpose to make brief extracts in relation to foui, damp air and venti- lation. AAre do this chiefly to show that the mode of venti- lation he has pointed out for family emergencies, is trouble- 44 some and incomplète compared with the plan to which we invite public attention. "Itissaid," remarks Prof. Draper in his book, "that in many of the houses in New York the servants first light the tires and pump the water out of the cellars ; though this my be an exaggeration, we ail know that a damp cellar is the rule, and a dry one the exception. . . . It is, there- fore, very important that the cellar of every house, whether private or tenement, should be properly cleansed, dried, and ventilated during the years when the épidémie diseases are raging, if at no other time. ... In the winter sea- son the furnace will generally produce a sufficient ventila- tion of the cellar, and prevent the foui air entering the house ; but in the spring and summer, when choiera com- mences to rage with the greatest violence, the furnace is then extinguished, and there is no ventilation of the cellar. At this time the danger which impends may to a great ex- tent be avoidee! by placing a small stove in it, in which a tire should be kept burning continually," etc. AArithout assuming to discuss this matter, it must be ob- vious that a tire can not be kept continually burning in a stove without considérable expense, and a great deal of care and trouble in watching the tire. Besicles, the tire is liable to go out from the négligence of the servant, and thus the absence of ventilation for a time, and more than likely for a whole night, may constitute the critical moment when the choiera, or some other disease, will number us among its unwilling victims. By the use of our Ventilator we hâve a perpétuai motive power, which will cost but a trille, and which will be a faithful guardian of our health, so far as ventilation is concerned, whether the servants be asleep or awake. Moreover, the Ventilator will not only furnish an abundant supply of pure air, in place of the foui, damp, and noxious air so aptly described by Prof. Draper, but it will afford an agreeable light to one' s cellar without any in- crease of the heat, which is not needed, to say the least in summer. Advantages of the Ventilator.—It removes foui air unpleasant odors, and ail noxious gases, as heretofore stated and furnishes a constant supply of pure air in their place 45 which should be a primary considération with ail who hâve a regard for their health, comfort, or lives. It Avili furnish a bountiful supply of pure air to one's kitchen, so that one' s food will be in a more wholesome con- dition for use, and if one' s wife or daughter should go into the kitchen to superintend culinary or other duties, she can return to the parlor without having the disgusting kitchen odor upon her dress or person. Bishop Hughes has said that every young woman, however wealthy or accomplished, should graduate in the kitchen ; and there is no doubt that young ladies, anxious, as they should be, to become accom- plished housewives, would be much more inclined to over- see the affairs of the kitchen if, while there, they could hâve a sweet and wholesome atmosphère to breathe. The A'entilator will remove the foui air from every part of your domicile, so that the odors and noxious gases from drains, water-closets, kitchens, damp or wet cellars or base- ments, and other foui places, will be effectually carried away, along with the unwholesome effluvia from your bodies, and the carbonic acid gas thrown out from your lungs and gene- rated by your gas-burners or petroleum lamps or stoves. Thus, you may sleep sweetly ail night in a pure air, which will greatly promote the health of your family, and especially that of your children, who are extremely sensitive to the in- fluences of foui air. Rich furniture, gilded picture-frames, and fresco paintings upon walls and ceilings are frequently injured by foui, damp air, but may be effectually preserved by our mode of ventilation. This alone would more than pay for the cost of ventilation. It may be remembered that in 1863 we were visited by a peculiar atmosphère, which, through its dampness, or otherwise, had the effect to mould the i)aper upon the walls of houses, and cause it to peel off ; to mar the varnish of the furniture, to mould the carpets, and cause them to rot speedily ; to mould even the pictures ; and in some instances the canvas of the pictures was com- pletely rotted, causing the entire loss of a large number of invaluable pictures. Many houses in New-York City and Brooklyn had to be completely refitted in conséquence of the injury sustained through the destructive influence of the atmosphère in question ; and ail of this loss and evil might hâve been counteracted by efficient ventilation, which would 46 hâve prevented tlie stagnation of the damp or un wholesome air within the ax^artments. The Arentilator removes impure air from horse stables, the ammoniacle vapors of which tarnish or destroy the var- nish upon carriages, and cause horses to sicken and die. In this respect, therefore, ventilation would be a wise econ- omy. The Ventilator will prevent the rusting of goods made of steel or iron, stored in basements or other damp places. Thousands of dollars might be saved annually to the mer- chant dealing in goods of this description by efficient ven- tilation. The Ventilator will furnish to your refrigerators and provision closets a pure air, so that your food will not be tainted by the noxious gases which would otherwise be con- stantly accumulating, and you will be enabled to keep fresh méat, perishable fruits, and other articles of food for several weeks during the hot weather of summer. The excessive heat which is frequently présent in churches, législative halls, and other public places is often quite as annoying as the foui air, and may be completely removed by my Ventilator. We hâve this excess of heat in churches and other public buildings, when they are lighted with gas. Indeed, it would seem to be less difficult to heat a large hall than it is to get rid of the excess of heat after it is generated. A committee was appointed during 1865, by the two houses of Congress, in référence to the ventilation of the House of Représentatives and the Senate Chamber ; and Mr. Meigs, who, was called before the committee, said that there was no difficulty in warming those two chambers ; but when the heat was found to be in excess, it was not easy to get rid of it and at the same time maintain a pleas ant and agreeable température. 47 PART SECOND. JANTJART, 1870. Peogeess of Ventilation since the First Issie of this Woek in 1866— Additional Explanations of the Theory—Atmospheeio Conditions— Zymotio Diseases — Fuethee Extracts from Lectures By Morris Mattson, M. D.—Mélange of Science, Aet, Philosophy, Htjmoe, etc. GENERAL REMARKS. AATe hère turn over a new leaf — commence, as the novelist would say, a new chapter ; for ventilation would seem to hâve its epochs as well as history. It is now nearly four years since the first édition of this book was published, and within that time we hâve attended to numerous orders in référence to ventilation ; hâve furnished pure air to a multitude of domiciles; hâve ventilated School-houses, Court- houses and Churches ; hâve removed the odors from kitchens and water-closets ; hâve rendered damp and unwholesome basements as dry and healthful as rooms upon the second or third floors of well-constructed houses ; hâve ventilated horse stables, which has greatly reduced the bills of veterin- ary surgeons ; hâve built a number of large refrigerators or preserving rooms, which are so essential to families ; hâve added 7_argely to our stock of expérience, but without changing our views in référence to the vast importance of ventilation in any of its phases ; hâve found architects more ready to co-operate with us than heretofore, which, indeed, is as much to their advantage as to ours ; and, withal, hâve extended our business as far west as Chicago {vide testi- monials elsewhere), and expect soon to do business in Omaha and California. We hâve also made partial con- tracts to ventilate some of the State Capitols, and hâve had interviews with Congressional Committees in référence to the ventilation of the Capitol at Washington. 48 AATe désire, furthermore, to give additional explanations of our theory of ventilation, which has not been adequately understood by many individuals ; to présent a brief outline of our labors for the past two or three years, bringing x^ar- ticularly into view those points which hâve a spécial interest for property-owners, as well as those who seek health and comfort in their résidences and places of business, through the introduction of pure air ; and to fill up our allotted space with " Arm-Chair Gleanings" from newspapers, magazines, literary and scientific works, and other sources, in which we hâve found allusions to the subject of ventila- tion, or discussions of atmospheric conditions having rela- tion to health and disease. Ail this will be a pleasant labor for us, and we hope it will prove interesting and profitable to our readers. FURTHER EXPLANATIONS OF OUR THEORY AND PLAN OF VENTILATION. In the previous éditions of our book, the explanations of our theory of ventilation hâve not been sufliciently explicit, and we proceed, therefore, to give further information upon the subject. The readeris referred to the figures or illustra- tions in the first part of our book. Opposite to the title-xiage is to be seen what is termed ' ' Gouge' s Atmospheric Ventila- tor," consisting of a Ventilating Lantern, an Argand burner, and the necessary air-ducts, both inlet and outlet. This portion of our apparatus may be highly finished, or other- wise, according to the expense which the party using it may be disposed to incur. The Lantern serves to give light as well as to aid in the process of ventilation, and is very useful for that purpose in cellars, basements, and other dark places, and particularly in powder-magazines, in which this light may be used with entire safety. See page 34. Induction of Air, etc.—On the third page is a figure showing how currents of air may be induced, which lies at the foundation of our ventilating process. Without an adéquate motive riower to establish up-moving currents of air, there can be no efficient ventilation. Our plan is simple, and almost devoid of expense, after the necessary 49 apparatus has been properly adjusteel. AA"e do not need a stcam-engine to force the air into or out of a building. A simple Argand burner, consuming about a foot of gas to the hour, in connexion with a proper System of inlet and outlet flues or air-ducts, will produce the requisite movements of the air, and secure thorough ventilation in a building of moderate size. A larger building will require a larger amount of gas. The heating of a flue or chimney with a jet of gas, a kérosène lamx"), a stove. or a coil of ste^am-pipes, as many peoj)le hâve sux)posed, will not produce ventilation. The peculiar constructkm and arrangement of the air-ducts, and the adaptation of them to the building to be ventilateel, are matters of great nicety. The air-ducts are of variable sizes, and unless the larger and smaller ones hâve a proper and definite relation to each other, in accordance with the place to be ventilated, the ineluction of the air will be imperfee't, and consequently the ventilation will also be imperfect. This is the reason why certain architects, who hâve under- taken to ventilate buildings on our plan without consulting us, hâve1 made such wretched failures. The force of an induced current of air lias a strict relation to the capacities of the flues through which it is made to pass.' AVhen we can do so, we carry our métairie flues in a perpendicular line to the top of the house, above the roof ; but if there should be intervening closets, bath-rooms, or water or gas jupes, we are obligée! to pass off horizontally until we get free from the obstruction, and this increases the difficulty of rendering the apparatus yjerfect in its practical workings. Sometimes we are not etbliged to ascend to the roof of the house in order to obtain a suitable outlet, and when this is the case, consielerable expense is saved to the prorjerty-owner in the construction and adaptation of our apparatus. AA^eather-Caps.—Figures of thèse will be found on the fourth page of our book. They are varied in form, so as to be in harmony with the building to which they are attached. They are essential to the proper working of our apparatus, and require care and skill in their construction and adjust- ment ; for, while they prevent the admission of rain, snow, or 50 wind, they must allow of the free exit of the up-moving eur rents of air from the interior of the building. COST OF VENTILATION. This dépends, as a matter of course, upon the place to be ventilated, and the amount of ventilation roquired. The cost, of necessity, is a considérable item, in any case of ven- tilation, as we hâve to employ the most skillful and oxpen- sive workmen, and purchase the best quality of tin plate, galvanized iron, and other materials, in the construction of our apparatus. AVe never use inferior métal, nor allow inferior work to pass from our hands. Nevertheless, we are careful to make moderato rather than extravagant charges, anel although, once in a while, an individual may complain of our bill, he would not, after using our apparatus for a week or two, part with it for ten times the cost. The' ventilation of a house of médium size, including the kitchen, parlors, closets, sleeping-rooms, and cellar or base- ment, will vary from $500 to $1,200. The kitchen alone may be about $150 ; the water-closets alone from $150 to $2(H>. If there is no difficulty in getting an outlet from the building, the expense is always greatly diminished. The ventilation of a small office will cost from $150 to $25< ) : a banking-house, from $300 to $600. In school-houses we ventilate five or six of the rooms through one outlet, and the cost of each room varies from $75 to $100. A church will vary from $1,000 to $2,500. A j)reserving-room or provision closet, if built in accord- ance with our directions, we usually ventilate for about $150. The cost will be somewhat increased if tliere is a diffi- culty in getting an outlet from the building. HEAT AND VENTILATION. AYhen emrnoyed to ventilate a house or building, we always use the heating apparatus which we fine! on the premises. AAre never meelelle with the heating arrangements, excex")ting in some instances to modify the air-ducts through which air is admitted from the exterior of the building;. 51 The question is frequently asked whether an increase of fuel is required for heating a house after it is ventilated. The answe^r is in the négative. By x>roperly arranging the ventilating apparatus, less fuel, rallier than more, will be required for heating purposes, and the quality of the heated atmosphère will also be greatly improved. AVe hâve not space to go into a description of this matter, nor do we con- sider it necessary. ZYMOTIC DISEASES—FOUL AIR—NATIONAL HOTEL DISEASE— HOSPITAL VENTILATION. We hope that the new médical phrase, " zymotic ■diseases," will neither puzzle nor friglnVn our reaeleTs, the greater proportion of whom are probably not physicians. Translated into plain English, it means simpiy "diseases from foui air" and the subject should be better understood than it seems to be, bqth theoretically and practically. It is intimately connected with the subject of ventilation, and as such we give it a prominent place in our book. When intelligent people understanel that a large proportion of the deaths occurring in our midst are the resuit of foui air, they will be more cautious than they are about breathing it, and will be more disposed than at présent to hâve their houses and places of business ventilated. AA^hen physicians tell us that certain diseases are pro- duceel by foui air, we understand it to be the resuit of atmospheric poison, in some form or other, which is capa- ble, when taken into the System by the breathing process, of generating disease, just as disease is generated by taking a drug-poison into the System by the mouth. The practical inference from thèse statements is e>bvious. If an individual does not wish to suffer from a drug-poison, as for e^xample prussic acid, he will be careful not to swallow prussic acid. If he does not wish to suffer from a zymotic disease, lie will be equally careful not to breathe a foui or poisonous atmosphère by which it may be produced. This will lead him to the study of atmospheric hygiène, if we may use the expression, and he will. make the earliest possible efforts to get rid of noxious gases from his water-closets, cess-pools, drains, etc. ; he will not allow his house to be 52 X>ervaded by moulely anel poisonous émanations from his cellar or basements ; nor will lie, above ail things, allow his sleexûng-rooms to be so confinée!, that an inelivielual, enter- ing one of them in the morning from the external air, will be almost instantly made sick. AVe shall not go into a full enumeration of those atmospheric abominations, which are to be found, more or less, in almost every household. Among the zymotic diseases, as reported by the' médical profession, are carbuncle, cholera-infantum and cholera- morbus ; croup ; diarrhœa and dysentery ; cliphtheria or throat disease ; erysipelas ; fever and ague ; influenza ; measles and mumps ; puerpural or child-bed fever ; quinsey or sore throat ; rémittent fever ; rheumatism ; scarlatina, small-pox and varioloid ; whooping cough. This is, by no means, a full list of the zymotic diseases. Consumj)tion has been added to the number, and as physicians proceed with their investigations, they may ultimately find that there is scarcely a disease in which foui air, directly or inelirectly, has not had something to do in its production. How then is it possible to recognize the theory of zymotic diseases as true, without recognizing the necessity for ven- tilation. AA^e must either so construct our houses as to insure within them an adéquate supx>ly of pure air, by night as well as by day, or incur the risk of being made danger- ously or perhaps fatally sick. In a Report on Zymotic Diseases made to the Massachusetts Médical Society by Dr. Benjamin Cutter, in 1858, he says : "There is no effect without a cause," and adds: "It is well known to every médical practitioner that many persons are, within a short time and within certain limits, affected by the same disease, and that during this time most other diseases partake to a large degree of the nature of the épidémie. The connection between events so common and influences so apparent should excite diligent inquiry, and is a subject of such mag- nitude and usefulness to mankind that it should command the most serions attention of that body of liberally-eeluevated men who esteem themselves the conservators of the health of the community." Truthful words, well spoken. But let us not stop with the mère theory of elisease1, in relation to its exciting causes but find out, as speedily as possible, how to prevent its 53 develorjment. It will require no prophet, therefore, to tell us that we must e'ease to breathe foui or poisonous air, as far as possible. This can be prevented by the proper ven- tilation of our houses ; but if the external air is impure1, in conséquence of filth in the streets, imperfect drainage, stag- nant pools or marshes, decomposing animal boelies, the con- tiguity of stables or inclosures in which horses, cows, or swine are kept, or other sources of filth, which are much too common, both in city and country, we must remove the offending cause as quickly as possible, if we would escape the difficulty or elanger ; or, if we are the inhabitant of a city, we must endeavor to compel the city authorities to enforce a more rigid System of cleansing anel purification. AA'hen the external air is extremely impure, and becomes stagnant in a house for the want of ventilation, it is doubly poisonous, and can not be breatheel a long time without the risk of producing disease or destroying life. People hâve no adéquate idea how speedily they may become the victims of disease by exposure to a foui air. An hour or two of this exposure may suffice to bring on a fatal malaely. The National Hôtel Disease, at AArashington, is proof of this. There were conflicting théories with regard to the cause of the disease when it first made its appearance, some attributing it to the food, some to the water, and others to the atmosphère, etc. A Dr. Dillard, who was. in AVash- ington at the time {vide Transactions of the Philadelphia Collège of Physicians), testified that a number of his friends who only visited the house, without eating or drinking there, suffered attacks of the épidémie. This goes.to show that the limited time dévotes! to social visits was quite suffi- ciemt to engeneler the disease. Dr. Dillard said further : "The house is a very old one, very much out of repair, decayeel and filthy, and I found the odor of its atmosphère so noisome that I got out of it as quickly as I could." AVith such an explanation as this, no one need be at a loss to com- prehend the true cause of the frightful disease in question, by which so majiy individuals lost their lives, and if x>eople generally would make their escaipe from foui or pestilontial atmosphères as promptly as Dr. Dillard, there would be less sickness, and fewer prématuré deaths. 54 The considération of zymotic disease's suggests the importance of ventilating hospitals, and ail institutions deskmed for the accommodation of invaliels. "Hospital gangrené," as it is termeel, with euysipolas, anel some other diseases peculiar to hospitals, are attrbuteel by the médical profession to foui air, and hence there can be no question about the propriety, not to say absolute necessity, of venti- lating hospitals. Thus far, we hâve not had the satisfaction of ventilating a single hospital. OVERCROWDING—REMEDY. One of the most perilous things in city life, so far as health is concernée!, is over-crowding. Rents are so high that this lias become a necessity with the poorer classes. Men, women anel children are packed away in small re>e>ms, almost as tiglitly as herrings are packed in a box. Each of the tellement houses, of whie-h there are probably twemty thousand in New York City alone, is not an unfair repré- sentative of the Black Hole of Calcutta, that îioted tomb of the living anel the dead, if we may so speak In our telle- ment houses, vigorous bodies are reneh>red unsound, and sink into early decay. AAromen become attenuatee! and wither ut3. Children sicken and die', or fade away more speedily than the early flowers. The mortality from this ove'r-crowding can scarcely be computeel. No wonder, therefore, that half of the deaths in New York City and Brooklyn, taking place in the hot weather of summer, should be reportée! by the health physicians as belongingto tlie zymotic class—that is, diseases from foui air. But what is to be the remedy? Wv may talk about over-crowding, write about it, lecture about it, pivach about it, but ail this will do no good while landlorels are repacious, and the poor are so yjoor as not to be able to xuocure the décent comforts of life. Under such circumstances, we shall always find the poor huddled together in small apartments. There is one thing, however, which coule! be done, and which landlords should be compelled to do, namely, to ven- tilate their tenement houses under a heavy penalty, which they would be unwilling to incur. The x>oor, then would hâve1 fresh air, even though they had nothing else anel 55 twe'iity x^e'i'sons in a small room, efficient!y ventilated, would be more conifortable than two persons in the same room without ventilatieui. Over-croweling, without ventilation, favors the deweleq)- ment of the zymotic or foui-air eliseases, anel adds greatly to the'ir virulence anel fatality. Over-croweling is much too common, even in first-class dwellings, and aise) in offices, se'wing-rooms, and similar yjlaces of business. The *kfour-story brown stone houses" in New York City, are no exception. Twe> or three inelivi- duals will frequently be founel in a small sleeping-room dévoie! of ventilation. This should never be. One person in a small room is sufficient, anel even with this restriction, the air will become very foui during the night, if there be no ventilation. The sewing-rooms, in which yjoor girls are crowded together in large numbers, are pitiable spectacles. The air is often filthy in the extrême. The girls who are forcée! to labor in those close rooms from ten to twelve hours daily, with only a half an hour at noon for their dinner or lunch, lose their health, and become languid, dysxoei)tic, nervous, and unfit for duty. Such treatment of those defenceless créatures is disgraceful. In God's namc, let them be furnished with pure air during the hours of labor, even though the}" should receive only a beggars pittance for their laborious services. ORIGIN OE GOUGE'S VENTILATION, IXCLUDIXe^ OTIIER ERA(r- MENTARY SKETCIIES EROM LECTURES BY MORRIS MATTSON, M. D. The fact that our name is mentioned in thèse fragment- ary sketches, taken from the lectures of Dr. Mattson, from which we hâve previously quote)d {vide page 11), is no good reason, T)erhax')s, why we shoule! not give them a place; in Part Seconel of our book, as they relate to topucs of vital importance in connection with the subject of ventilation. New Disooveries.—This is a scientific, progressive and practical âge ; an âge, withal, of discovery and invention ; and it is somewhat remarkable that the dry détails and maxims of science, as they used to be regarded by the common people, hâve ceased to be the exclusive property of learned professors and cloistered students, but are now comprehended by large masses of the people, many of whom do not claim to be le irned, and who are turning their 56 knowledge to good account, thereby enhancing our domestic and social pleasures, and even exercising a potent, though perhaps unconscious, influence upon our civilization. We not unfrequently observe the most humble and even unlettered individ- uals making new applications of the truths and principes of science, and deducing therefrom new and important discoveries, which would not hâve been dreamed of by learned professors or profound philosophers. Hence it is that our every-day expérience is teaching us not to be surprised when we are pre- sented with new and valuable discoveries and inventions by those in the ' middle îanks of life, who hâve never been the récipients of académie or col- legiate honors. We hâve made thèse remarks chiefly in référence to the new, interesting, and important system of ventilation introduced to the public by Mr. Gouge. He is not a member of any learned profession, and yet his discoveries in ventila- tion were made after such distinguished men as Franklin, Count, Rumford, Arnott, Reid, Treadgold, Farraday, and many others had been supposée! to exhaust the subject. He has not only announced his discovery in a quiet and unpretending way, but he has reduced it to practice, which is better, as it enables the public to participate in its benefits. Theoretical ventilation is a very différ- ent thing from practical ventilation. We are indebted to Mr. Gouge for practical ventilation. His discovery, it would seem to us, is not less important to mankind them the invention of the steamboat, telegraph, or sewing machine. Human progress, in ail of its phases, is measured by the health and vigor of the people, and they can hâve neither health nor vigor without pure air to breathe, and this pure air they can not obtain in their dwellings or places of business, in which they are obliged to pass the most of their time, unless they hâve adéquate ventilation. The importance of pure air, in relation to health, was one of the earliest dreams of our professional life. In a large médical work, first published in 1841, we devoted a chapter to pure air and ventilation. We were, however, only a néophyte in this important matter. How ventilation was to be accomplished, except by opening the doors and Windows, we could not learn from any of the works upon the subject, and we found no adéquate solution of the problem until we stumbled upon Mr. Gouge, at his office in Broadway, many years ago. Origin of Gouge's Discovery—Caverns, and Their Anomalies.—Having made the acquaintance of Mr. Gouge, we proceeded at once to " interview " him, somewhat after the style of our présent energetic newspaper reporters. We said to him, "Mr. Gouge, what first led you to make discoveries in ventila- tion ?" He replied that the subject had always been one of interest to him, but he had never thought of devoting himself to it professionally until one day he was accidentatly perusing an account of the wonderful caverns existing in various parts of the world. The lessons which they seemed to teach were deeply impressive, and never to be forgotten. He referred to an interesting work, entitled " Wonders of the Earth and the Heavens." "Many of the caverns therein desfcribed," said Mr. Gouge, "vary greatly in their température, and exhibit the anomaly of being cold when the external air is warm, or vice versa." A cavern in Hungary, for example, is described as being warm in winter, while in summer the cold is so intense as to produce large icicles, which hang from the roof in grotesque figures ; meanwhile, the heat of the sun, outside of the cavern,. is almost insupportable. It is also mentioned that the greater the 57 beat without, the more intense is the cold within, so that during the not weather of dog days, ice is formed copiously within the cavern, which the inhabitants use for cooling their liquors. Mr. Gouge found in thèse remarkable contrasts in nature ample material for reflection. The phenomena of evaporation, heat and cold, and atmospheric currents, were ail suggestive and instructive. The germ of a new idea was hère developed. The brief anel incidental study of anomalous caverns, with their strange and inscrutable mysteries, proved to be unconsciously the starting-point of one of the most useful discoveries of the âge. By intuition, or some other process of the mental powers, a new theory of ventilation was forcée! upon the mind of Mr. Gouge. He pondered upon the unbidden révélation (so incom- plète, anel yet so grand in its conception, coming anel going like a shadow,) for days, weeks, months, and years, putting it slowly anel cautiously into practice, watching it in ail of its complicatecl détails, taking courage under difflculties, profiting by his errors and misconceptions, meeting ridicule and opposition with a déterminée! résistance, and plodding wearily on through every doubt, every misgiving, every obstacle, until his dark and shadowy path became illuminated by the golden sun of success. He has indeed achieved results of the most flat- tering character, and we need only add how truly it has been said by Bulwer, in one of his novels, that minutes make the hues with which years are some- times colored. Ventilation—Expérimental Failures, etc.—There hâve been numerous books written upon the subject of ventilation, and some of them by able and distinguished authors, recommending various théories and Systems of ventila- tion, and millions of money hâve been expended eluring the last quarter of a century in fruitless attempts to obtain a perfect ventilation. Without particu- larizing, I need only refer to the Capitol at Washington, which is proverbial for its foui and unwholesome air, although, in 1866, it was ventilated under the direction of eminent scientific men, who availed themselves of ail the resources of art and science in endeavoring to accomplish their object. The fact that there hâve been failures in high places in respect to the Systems or processes of ventilation, only shows that we should examine the subject very critically, and assure ourselves, if possible, of the best means of producing a perfect ventilation. We may congratulate ourselves that the public are beginning to understand that fresh air is indispensable to health. This will ultimately compel architects to construct dwelling-houses upon a différent plan. They are now very careful to provide heat, light, water, and bathing facilities, but they do nothing to pro- vide fresh air. They seem to think that ail the air we need will come to us through brick walls. Fresh air would seem to be a luxury which even money can not purchase. You may visit the most élégant mansions in our city, and you will often find that they are pervaded by foui odors and noxious gases from the kitchens, laundries, and water-closets. This is due to their faulty construc- tion. You will often find also that a pestilential atmosphère is constantly oozing up into the apartments from the cellar or basements. This is dangerous to health, and should not be tolerated by those who can afford to bave their houses ventilated. Carbonic Acid Gas.—When the subject of ventilation is discussed, we usually hear much said in relation to carbonic acid gas, as though that were the chief constituent of a fou! or unwholesome atmosphère. This is not so, as I 58 shall presently explain. The carbonic acid gas being heavicr than common air, it is often supposée! that it is precipitateel to the floor as fast as it escapes from the lungs, during the process of respiration. It would be unfortunate, indeed, if this were true. Nature has provieled against this difficulty through the well-known law which régulâtes the diffusion of gases. This has been well expia ined by familiar chemical experiments known to you ail. If, for example, you fill a rubber bag with carbonic acid gas, and close it tiglitly, the whole of the gas will hâve escaped in twenty-four hours, and the common air will be found in its place. It is stated by Professor Wells, in his work on Chemistry, that if this law of diffusion were suspended, the heavy carbonic acid would accumulate under the influence of gravitation, as a bed or layer in the lower part of the atmosphère, and render the immédiate surface of the earth uninhabitable. Carbonic acid gas will permeate a brick wall. The distinguished Pettenkofer is authority for this. He found the gas to escape from an unventilated room by diffusion through its walls. Hence we can not f ail to see that the carbonic acid, resulting from combustion and respiration, as well as every other noxious gas or poison, should be speedily discharged from our apartments by an efficient venti- lating process. There are numerous facts going to prove that carbonic acid gas diffuses itself in the atmosphère, and is not precipitated to the floor or surface of the earth, in conséquence of its being heavier than the air. De Saussure noted the présence of carbonic acid in the atmosphère of the summit of Mont Blanc, in the région of perpétuai snow, and he states explicitly that the proportion of carbonic acid is greater on the tops of mountains than in the plains or valleys. This view has been confirmed by Gay Lussac, who made experiments upon air collected during his serostatic journey. We quote thèse authorities from the Congressional report on warming anel ventilating the Capitol at Washington, publisheel under the auspices of Prof. Heniy, and other scientific gentlemen. In the above report mention is made of an observer by the name of Lop- pens, who made experiments upon the air of a théâtre at Ghent, anel who found that the carbonic acid of an unventilated room is uniformly diffused therein, excepting a slight différence in favor of the ceiling, rather than the floor, "as was ignorantly assumed heretofore from the superior spécifie weight of this gas." Hère is a truth in pungent and décisive words. While therefore it is admitted, upon high authority, that the carbonic acid is diffusée! through the atmosphère of a room, with a surplusage of it at the ceiling, instead of being precipitated to the floor, on account of gravity, it must also be admitted that the other foreign and noxious gases, which may be prés- ent, are equally diffused in the atmosphère, in obédience to the same unerring law of diffusion. The facts hère presented must not be overlooked, as they are intimately connected with Mr. Gouge's system of ventilation. Indeed, we ail know that the foulest air of a room, crowded with people, is at the ceiling. Any one who has gone from the lower floor of a crowded théâtre, or church, to the galleries, or upper tiers, will bear testimony to this. In the Capitol at Washington, also, the air at the ceiling is represented as being infinitely more foui and disgusting than upon the lower floors, where the members are seated. It is not to be denied that there is a point of saturation, so to speak, when the carbonic acid will cease to diffuse itself in the atmosphère, anel be precipi- tated to the floor by the force of gravity. We see this in deep wells, where it displaces the atmosphère, and also in close rooms in which charcoal is igno- rantly burned for the purpose of warmth. But this précipitation does not take 59 place until the gas has diffusée! itself in the atmosphère, far beyond that limit which would be safe for individuals to breathe. In Mr. Gouge's ventilating arrangements, there is in each room an opening in the air-elucts at the floor and ceiling, commandée! by registers, which expérience has shown to be indispensable to good ventilation. The light and offensive at- mosphère, which bas been shown to prevail in excess at the ceiling, passes through the upper opening into the ventilating shaft or air-eluct, instead of be- ing drawn downward below the zone of respiration. This is practically cor- rect, and will no eloubt be found to be philosophically true. Organio Poison of the Breath.—Critical attention should be given to this branch of our subject. In addition to the carbonic acid gas which escapes from the lungs in the breathing process, there is free nitrogen, abundant aqueous vapor, cpithelial scales from the mouth and air-passages of the lungs, and a certain organic matter, existing in some form not yet definitely under- stood. To this organic matter we invite particular attention. It is conceded to be a poisonous product, and is intensely so in a concentrated form. Adeleel to water, and allowed to remain a certain time, it becomes very offensive. Chem- ical tests show it to be nitrogenous. It has been collected in sponges by the pains-taking Prof. Bernard, of the Collège of France, in experiments upon animais. In this concentrateel form, it was found to be as deadly in its effects as the noted wourali, or the poison of the viper. Applied to an abraded sur- face, it proeluces an intense and dangerous inflammation. If this organic poison, which diffuses itself in the atmosphère, in connec- tion with the other products of respiration, shoulel be unduly retained in a close apartment, as it always is in the absence of efficient ventilation, it will prove injurious to the health, or give rise to some dangerous or fatal form of disease. It accumulâtes largely in ail crowded places, anel is the deadly upas of the School-room, the Church, the Théâtre, the Opéra, and the Lecture-room. It was this poison that aided in the destruction of so many lives in the fatal Black Hole of Calcutta. We hâve long believed that it engenders a large amount of disease, without the cause being suspected. The carbonic acid, of which so much is said in discussing the subject of foui air, is the merest bagatelle in comparison with this organic poison. Cavarret, a French observer, has made some interesting experiments in référence to this poison of the breath. He separated from the atmosphère of a close room, renelered impure by the breathing process, ail of the carbonic acid, and other products of respiration, excepting the above organic matter, which he retained. He then exposed certain small animais in the remaining atmos- phère, which he found to be slowly poisoned, and ultimately destroyed. Is it not reasonable to suppose, therefore, that thousands of individuals are slowly poisoned in a similar manner, in their sick rooms, without it being suspected that foui air has anything to do with their maladies ? The answer must be in the affirmative, or there is no truth in the doctrine put forth by the médical pro- fession in référence to what they call " zymotic diseases." (See page 51.) This view of the case is confirmed by a lecture delivered before the Royal Institution, in Great Britain, on the relations of town architecture to public health. Dr. Drewitt, the lecturer, stated that close bed-room air was an efficient cause of scrofula and consumption. Thirteen contagious diseases, producible at will, were enumerated. The lecturer expressed his belief that in time épi- démie diseases would be made subject to human control, and he thought that the 60 surest mode of protecting the dwellings of the rich would be to cleanse and ven- tilate the dwellings of the poor. ____ Cavarret also observée! that the carbonic acid of a close, unventilated room, would speedily escape into the external air when the door anel Windows were opened, but not so with the organic matter, which would remain for many hours imparting to the atmosphère that peculiar smell which is so charactenstic, and so readily detected. It is well enough to remember, therefore, that in entonng a close room, in which the air has been renelered impure by respiration, it is not the carbonic acid that we smell, but the organic matter described above, which clings to the atmosphère with great tenacity, anel which can not be removed without efficient ventilation. The Brahmin and The Microscope—The Atmosphère of Crowded Assemblies.-R is related that Ehrenberg, the great Prussian microscopist, was traveling in Inelia, where he fell into conversation with a Brahmin, whose relig- ious faith forbade him to take life of any kind, or to eat anything which had ever possessed life. Ehrenberg, wishing to demonstrate to the Brahmin the absurdity of his belief, exhibited to him a single drop of water, through the mag- nifying power of the microscope, in which lie saw a countless number of ani- malculœ. " Alas! " said the poor Brahmin, in despair, "you hâve elestroyed my happiness and my life also ; for I see now that I shall never be able to drink, and must perish with thirst." If the gay and fashionable people who crowd our lecture-rooms, théâtres, churches, and other public places, forming a dense mass of human beings, coule! see the air they breathe, as the Brahmin saw the drop of water, they would, no doubt, shrink instinctively from taking such a polluted atmosphère into their lungs. Two or three thousand people are not unfrequently croweleel together in our public places of resort, anel, in suchathrong, there is always a large number who are more or less diseased. Some will hâve disease of the lungs ; some, inflammation or ulcération of the throat ; some, clecayed teeth, incrusted with tartar, anel alive with animalculae ; some, an ancient catarrh, invaeling the nasal cavities, and emitting a horrible stench. The blendecl odors of tobacco and ruui will not be wanting. Every breath given out from the lungs of such indivieluals is heavily laelen with foui miasms, or disgusting odors. The exterior as well as the interior of the body will often be found diseased, covered perhaps with fetid ulcers, which would frighten any one but a hospital nurse or surgeon, pro- vided the bandages or elressings could be removed, so as to bring them into view. The unwashed feet and hose of scores or hundreds of very elecent-looking and perhaps elegantly-dressed people, to be found in the crowd, also assist in diffus- ing an odor that would unsettle the stomach of any one not bred in a slaughter- house, or accustomed to the daily stench of a New York bone-burning establish- ment. We hâve noticed this disgusting odor of unwashed feet so frequently in public assemblies, that we are never particularly anxious about any manifesta- tion of applause, which is usually made with the feet ; for, although it is pleas- ant to know that an audience is delighteel with an entertainment, the pleasure is more than counterbalanceel bythe unsavory odor which arises from the floor as a conséquence. In addition to the foui émanations from the bodies of those who are con- gregated together, we are not to overlook the carbonic acid gas which is exhaled from the lungs. We hâve stated elsewhere that from twelve to fifteen hundred cubic inches of this gas is discharged from the lungs of a healtliy adult every 61 hour. Let us say twelve hundred cubic inches, so as to hâve a tolerably f air average, anel multiply this by one thousancl, which will represent a moderate New York audience, and we shall bave one hundred anel twenty thousand cubic inches of the gas exhaled in a single hour. With this excessive quantity of the gas, which can not make its escape for thewant of ventilation, is blended the fetid and disgusting odors already mentioned, until we bave an atmosphère totally unfit to be breatbed by any human being, or indeed by any of the lower animais, and which no person of intelligence or discrétion would breathe, if he had a just conception of its true nature and character, any more than the Brahmin would drink water, in opposition to his religious faith or convictions, after he had found it to be teeming with animal life. Drinking from the same Cup.—People are so dainty that no two of them will drink from the same cup without having it previously washed, as though they feared that some infectious matter might be imparted by the lips ; and yet they hâve no hésitation in breathing air which a multitude of persons hâve been filterino- through their lungs, until it has become pollutecl and unfit for the pur- poses of respiration. Go to the New York Central Park, of a summer after- noon, where the high and the low, the rich and the poor, are assemblée! in crowds, and observe how carefully each thirstypedestrian, in drinking at oneof the fountains, will rinse the cup before touching it to his lips, as though appre- hensive of being poisoned. Observe, again, a little later in the day, how those dainty people rush into the avenue cars, on their return home, crowded together in a dense mass, and breathing without apparent fear or concern, a pestiferous atmosphère, in which there is enough of filth and poison to sicken a whole régi- ment of Libby or Andersonville troops. A f urther illustration of this curious anomaly may be observed at table dur- ing meals. Woe to the landlord or landlady if a speck of dirt is seen in con- tact with any of the food placed before the guests. Disgust or indignation would be instantly manifested, as if an unpardonable sin bad been perpetrated. And yet if those délicate people were gifted with microscopic eyes, so as to observe equally well the impurities of the air they are frequently compelled to breathe how much greater would be their disgust and intolérance. Instead of criticising so closely the food which is to enter the stomach, they should give a little more attention to the food which is to enter the lungs, namely, the pure air of heaven, untainted by odors or miasms, and without a due supply of which life would become almost instantly extinct. Fainting in Public Places.—People hâve been so long accustomed to foui air that they think very lightly of the matter, or rather, perhaps, they do not think of it at ail, for the reason that they hâve no adéquate conception of the unwholesome character of the atmosphère which they are frequently compelled to take into the lungs, especially in public places. Nevertheless, many indivi- duals suffer severely in their visits to public assemblies, being sometimes obliged to leave before the entertainment has closed, in conséquence of faintness, head- ache, or a feeling of stupéfaction ; or forced to leave, it may be, which indeed not unfrequently happens, because a wife or a daughter has suddenly swooned, and has to be carried into the fresh air. Incidents of this kind ought to teach the public a useful lesson, and yet they seem to be regarded as the merest trifles, and are soon forgotten. We hâve known many cases of severe and protracted disease, which résultée! from breathing the poisonous air of crowded assemblies. There are scores of ladies and gentlemen in every community (and this is true c>2 more particularly of those a little advanced in life,) who never visit a crowded assembly, because they know they can not do so without suffering with a heael- ache, or some other ailment. What a comment is this upon the architectural deficiencies of our public buildings. ARcniTEOTS to Blâme.—It is a great calamity, so far as health is con- cerned, that there should be a public building, in which crowds of people assem- ble, without aelequate ventilation, whereby each individual présent would receive as full a supply of fresh air as though he were the inhabitant of some mountain range. It is a marvel, indeed, with ail of the progress which we bave maele in the arts and sciences, with ail of the knowledge which we bave of the truths of physiology anel hygiène, that we should be so sadly déficient in the art anel science of ventilation, which is infinitely more worthy of our attention than architectural adornments, or the costly and beautiful trappings pertaining to a fashionable résidence. If it be criminal to destroy life with a murderous weapon, why may it not be considered equally criminal to destroy life by means of the foui air which is allowed to accumulate in public or private buildings in conseqence of inadéquate ventilation ? Inferior Physical Development, etc.—Fovl air, which is synonymous with déficient ventilation, exercises a blighting influence upon both the vegetable and animal kingdoms. Plant a potato in a dark cellar, and it will send up a long wliite stem, entirely elevoicl of any green color. It is only the pure air anel the sun-light that can impart to it the usual characteristics of growth and color. So with the human body. Take from it the pure air, and it will suffer in growth and development. This is no hypothesis. According to médical testimony, submitted to'the House of Commons in 1840, the children of the English silk- weavers, who pass their lives in a close and confined air, are extremely subject to scrofula and softening of the bones. So says Mr. Tomlinson, in his work on Ventilation. Scrofulous diseases, according to this authority, is a common resuit of bad ventilation. Children, moreover, born of parents living continu- ously in bad air, show signs of physical inferiority. Dr. Arnott, the eminent English physician, is quoted as saying, "Defe-ctive ventilation deadens both the mental and bodily énergies ; it leaves its mark upon the person, so that we can distinguish the inhabitants of a town from those of the country." Nothing is more true than the statements of Dr. Arnott, and with such facts before us, the inference is conclusive, that the deprivation of pure air, begin- ning with the nursery, and passing onward through the différent stages of life, must tend ultimately to enfeeble even our national life. If the stones of a build- ing are not firm and encluring, the building itself will be déficient in those quali- ties. There is no such a thing as a vigorous nationality, without a vigorous people for its foundation. If we bave scrofulous and rickety children, we shall hâve an infirm and rickety manhood and womanhoocl, and thus we shall gradu- ally pass into decay, and lose ail of our moral, spiritual, and political prestige. Pure air, then, is not only the foundation of good health, but it is the founda- tion of virtue, of morality, of religion, of heroism, of a pure and elevated man- hood, of ail that can beautify, advance, or strengthen our civilization. Bismarck —Ship-Ventilation.—It would seem that this distinguished statesman is not satisfied with having been instrumental in merely ventilating some of the European governments, if we may speak figuratively, but is equally desirous of employing a similar remedy in case of the ill-starred emigrant ships which occasionally set sail from the Prussian dominions. At ail events a noble 63 pleelge was given by Bismarck, during the past year, while acting as Prime Minister, to co-operate with the Prussian Government in preventing the répé- tition of such cases as that of the emigrant-ship Liebnitz, in which there was such a melancholy loss of life by the choiera. But how the répétition was to be prevented, or what was to be the remedy of the great statesman, we hâve never been informed. If he believes in atmos- pheric ventilation, as he evidently believes in govemmental ventilation, and should make a proper application of the remedy, we should bear no more of eleaths from foui air on ship-board, nor of the ravages of ship-cholera and ship- fever, a consummation devoutly to be wished. Bismarck is a progressive man, but whether he has made sufficient progress to enable him to discover that fresh air is as indispensable to a healtliy physical life, as good government is indispensable to a bealthy national life, is more than we can tell. It is amazing, to say the least, that any enlightened government should permit an emigrant ship to leave its waters without adéquate arrangements for a healthful supply of fresh air. The learned men of Prussia, of Europe, anel of ail Christendom, know that foui air is incompatible with health, anel that it is the very pabulum upon which the choiera feeds. Why, then, this indifférence to the subject ? No individual, no government, has yet taken the initiative in ship-vcntilation. It is yet among the undeveloped things of the ninteenth cen- tury. In this respect, Liebig has written his chemistries in vain. The Collèges and TJniversities of the civilized world bave been teaching chemistry and science to no purpose. The préservation of human life does not seem to be a subject worthy of notice. The poor emigrants crowd into the vessels which are to re- ceive them, full of high hopes, without dreaming that they are in danger of being poisoned to death by foui air, or having their lives cut suddenly short by the choiera or ship-fever. It is fitting, therefore, that Bismarck should do something to prevent this terrible sacrifice of human life. The remedy is simple ; the cost woulcl be but a trifle ; and yet the phenomenon of a ventilated ship crossing the océan has never yet been witnessed ; and if we are to judge from the tardy progress of the âge in respect to ventilation, it may not be witnessed for a cen- tury to come. If ships visiting our shores from Europe had been properly ven- tilated, we never should hâve heard of the Asiatic choiera on this siele of the Atlantic. Bismarck, therefore, could not reneler thé United States, nor indeed the whole civilized world, a greater service than by using his potent influence and prestige in having ail emigrant ships efficiently ventilated. Headache—Steinway Hall.—Headache is one of the accompaniments of fashionable places of amusement. We bave no désire to be invidious in refer- ring to Steinway Hall. It does not differ essentially, in regard to ventilation, from other places of amusement in our city. We refer to it especially, because it is one of the grand centres of gay anel fashionable life in our metropolis. Ladies and gentlemen flock there in crowds to attend lectures, readings, concerts, and ail sorts of attractive and agreeable entertainments. Clergymen anel lawyers—saints and sinners—musical people, and those who are not musical— beautiful women, and some who are not beautiful—ail assemble in this noted place. Dickens gave his readings there; Fanny Kemble read her round of Shakspearian characters there ; Anna Diekinson, Olive Logan, and Kate Field hâve lectured there ; Carlotta Patti and Parepa Rosa hâve sung there ; the American Institute gave a course of lectures there; Mr. Milburn, the blind preacher, with Gov. Hoffman in the chair, gave one of his éloquent cliscourses 64 there ; in short, everything of a high order in literature, music, art, or science, intended for the New York public, is more than likely to be présentée! in Stein- way Hall. We are justified, therefore, in criticising the place in référence to non-ventilation. The impurity of the air in the Hall is unquestioned. It is apparent at ail times, with or without an audience. An indivielual entering the Hall in the evening, just as the doors are opened, can not fail to detect the peculiar smell of a pent-up atmosphère, which has been poisoned by the human breath. It is this atmosphère which produces the headache, and we are sorry to affirm that there are scores of ladies and gentlemen who can not attend a public entertainment in Steinway Hall without suffering with headache, or some analagous disease. A gentleman is now at our elbow who says he went there with three ladies to hear Carlotta Patti sing. Each of the party, himself included, suffered severely with headache. One of the ladies was from a distant part of the country, and said that she would be unwilling to remain and endure such suffering, but from her désire to hear the singing of Carlotta, which she compared to the warbling of a bird. Such a foui and horriel atmosphère as this should not be permitted to exist in any fashionable place of resort, nor indeed in any other place in which human beings are crowded together. Mr. Steinway would make many a heart glad by having his Hall properly ventilated. We hâve not" the pleasure of his acquaintance, but we learn that he is libéral in his views, and fully appréciâtes the necessity and importance of pure air. We are told that he originally had openings made in the ceiling of the Hall for the escape of the foui air, but, unfortunately, the foui a-ir showed no disposition to make its escape. Like a well-fed prisoner, it did not choose to leave its place of confinement. Mr. Steinway then availed himself of what are called ltprism lights," which he imported from France at a heavy expense, showing a disposition to do ail in his power to render the Hall perfect in respect to ventilation. Thèse lights were placed in the ceiling, where they are now to be seen. It was assumeel, by those who advised Mr. Steinway in the matter, that the prism lights would be instrumental in ventilating the Hall, but their failure to do so is well known to ail who visit the place. The cost of importing the lights could not hâve been less than $5,000, and we bave no hésitation in saying, that if one-fourth of that sum had been paid to Mr. Gouge for the ad- justment of his ventilating apparatus, the visitors of Steinway Hall would not now hâve occasion to complain of the f oulness of the atmosphère, or go home from an entertainment suffering with intense headache. "FORCED VEXTILATIOX"—FANS AND EXGIXES. This is a peculiar kind of ventilation, with a motive power entirely différent from that employée! by myself, and on that account, as well as from its novelty, I bring it to the notice of the reaeler. Ventilation, strictly detined, is nothing more nor less than the removal of foui air from a building or other enclosure, and the introduction in its place of pure or fresh air. How simple the proposition ! And yet tliere seems to hâve been nothing in art or science more dimcult to accom- plish. It lias puzzled the wisest heads, and baffleel the skill 65 of our most eminent men. Among the methods devised for realizing this golden dream is that of "forcer! ventilation," which has its advocates in Europe as well as the United States. We find this new phrase in a document issued by order of the 39th Congress, in relation to the warming and ventilation of the Capitol at Washington. Previous to this, the Capitol had been systematically ventilated, or rather, it had been subjected to the forcing process already mentioneel ; and the plan adopted for the purpose, according to the docu- ment from which we quote, consisted in drawing a given quantity of external air into chambers for its réception by means of fans, when it was warmed by passing among stacks of pipes heated by steam-boilers, and forced into the halls of Congress through apertures in the floors and walls. This has been truly called "a forced ventilation." The column of air thus introduced displaces an equal quantity of vitiated air, which escapes through apertures in the ceil- ing and the numerous doors leading into the halls anel gal- leries. There are four fans employed for this purpose, operated by steam-engines. The fan for the Senate cham- ber is elescribed as being 14 feet in diameter, and weighing over six thousand pounds. It is moved by an engine of 16-horse power. The fan in the hall of Représentatives is 16 feet in diameter, and weighs nine thousand pounds. It is moved by a steam-engine of 30-horse power. One would suppose that those ponderous fans and for- midable steam-engines woule! furnish an abundance of fresh air, and yet it is proverbial that ventilation is sadly déficient in the two houses of Congress. When the Senate-chamber or house of Représentatives is crowded, the atmosphère is known to be almost stifling, and certain it is that we hâve been officially consulted by several congressional commit- tees in référence to the further ventilation of the Capitol. If we should be employed to render this service, we shall forego the expense of fans and steam-engines, anel use only our simple apparatus, which we hâve found so efficient in ventilating many large rniblic buildings. We will guaran- tee pure air to the members of Congress, and that too at a merely nominal cost, after the necessary expense has been incurred for the construction and adaptation of our appara- tus. We shall take pride, to say the least, in showing to 66 the scientific world, that foui air may b<» removed from a building, and fresh air made to take its place», without em- ploying such formidable and exxiensive» apparatus as they now hâve in the Capitol at Washington. Comparisons, says the noted Dogberry, are odorous. And yet it is sometimes necessary to make comparisons. In doing this, we bring into juxtaposition a huge steam- engine, in connection with a monstrous fan, employée! as a motive power in the process of ventilation, and the simple apparatus which we term an "Atmospheric Ventilator," employée! for the same purpose, with its silent but steaely up-moving currents of air, which operate by night as well as by day, without requiring an engineer e>r sux)erintenelent. It does its work without any wear or tear of machinery, hissing of steam, or other clatter or noise. It does not re- quire the building of anthracite, or other tires. There is no explosion of steam-boilers, or payment of bills for broken wheels, shafts, or other expensive apparatus. Further com- parisons we will leave to the intelligent reader. We; only hope that scientific men, property owners, architects, and others interested, will bestow upon the subject the attention which it so eminently deserves. YENTILATIOX—PURE AIR—HEALTH. The subject matter under this head has been used as a spécial circular, and is reproduced hère because many of the paragraxihs, as originally intended, will serve as brief or partial answers to questions which are frequently put to us in référence to the feasibility of ventilating particular places or buildings which hâve become injurious to health, or, to say the least, offensive to the sensé of smell. Parlors.—"Can my parlor be ventilated ? " is a common question. Theansweris, "Yes." Moreoveîr, parlors should always hâve a pure atmosjphere. Social pleasures are ex- ceedingly marred by a pent-up or foui atmosphère. Pure air will give a finer sparkle to wit, merriment and repartee, than the choicest brands of Champagne. Let it be remem- bered, also, that gas-lights, in proportion to their number and brilliancy, will render the air impure and unfit to be 67 taken into the lungs, unless there is adéquate ventilation. Five cubic feet of carbonic acid, we are told, is formed by the burning of an ordinary gas jet an hour, consuming in the meantime five cubic feet of gas. Multiply thèse five feet of carbonic acid with the number of gas jets, and it will readily be perceivee! what an atmosxmere of poisonous carbonic acid is floating in one's x">arle>r, to say nothing of the carbonic acid which is constantly evolveel from tlie lungs of the occupants. Sleepixg Rooms.—N"o higher boon could be conferred upon the human family than to supply them with a perfectly pure air during the night, while asleep. It would impart new vigor to the life forces, and aelel immeasurably to the health. Invalids and children particularly require this pure air during the night while asleep. Kitciiexs.—The foui air of kitchens is one of the greatest discomforts of domestic life. The kitchen odor not only dif- fuses itself through the whole house, but attaches itself to the garments of the domestics, and of every one who much fréquents the kitchen, and renders them more or less offen- sive when the}* come into one's présence. Kitchens properly ventilated will always hâve a pure and sweet atmosphère. Cellars.—The damp, foui air of a cellar, contaminating more or less the atmosphère of one's house, is a prolifie' source of disease, though frequently not suspected. It may always be remedied by ventilation. Water Closets.—Those " modem improvements " how- ever necessary to our wants, are frequently great nuisances, and oftentimes seriously affect the health. They may be rendered perfectly sweet by ventilation. Cherches.—It is not dull sermons which cause people to go to sleep in churches half so frequently as the impure atmosphère. How can people keep awake in an atmosphère loaded with carbonic acid, and other poisons emanating from the human body, which they are obliged to breathe con- stantly for two hours or more. The atmosphère of a crowded church is closely analagous to that of a room in which char- coal is permitteel to burn, without any admission of fresh air. Législative Halls.—If our Législative Halls were better ventilated, we should hâve better législative enact- ments, better laws, and a higher regard for the public, wel- fare. Bad air produces bael blood, give»s rise to a fierce or petul<»nt tenter, and create»s an inordinate désire», in many instances, for tobacco. ardent sx>irits, opium, and other boely and soul-elestroying agene'ies. The foui air of our Législa- tive Halls, Clmrchcs, and other public buildings in which human beings are» dense'ly crowded together, is a disgrâce to our âge and civilization P< »e »r Houses.—One can not bestow upon the x^oor a more valuable gift than that of pure air. They should be provid(»d with this, to say the least, though they may hâve no other comfort. Peovisiox Closets.—Food is frequently distasteful, as well as injurions to health, in conséquence of its absolution of noxious gases in refrigerators and provision closets. It is frequently claimed that refrigerators are» ventilated, but it is not so—at least, the ventilation is very imperfect. But- ter, milk, méat, bread, vegetables, fruit, and eve»rything we» eat, should be kept in a pure atmosphère, or they will be more or less tainted, anel rendered unfit for food. House Stables.—Hâve mercy on your horses. Never allow a valuable horse to 1 «vernie blind for the want of pure air. Remember that a stable can not be efficiently ventilated by flues. Siiips axd Steamers.—Commerce is the golden link by which nationalities are bound together, and yet we should not forget that it was through our commerce that the Asiatic choiera—that terrible scourge—was brought repeateelly to our shores. Let us hold on to our commerce, but get rid of the evils with which it is connected. Avaricious ship-owners hâve crowded human beings so closely together in their ships, that the foui air, thns generated, was more than sufficient to produce or keep alive the pestilence. Had ail ships coni- îng to our shores been properly ventilated, we should hâve had no choiera. Had ship-owners expended a little money in adéquate ventilation, it would hâve savee! thousands of preciems lives, and the expenditure» of vast sums of treasure. It is well known that senne of the steamers arrivino- in New York from Europe had choiera, in the steerag»-, where» the air 69 was foui, while there was none of it in the closely adjacent cabin, where the air was comparatively pure. Foui air anel choiera are synonomous ternis. Let the bitter expérience of the past teach us a salutary lesson for the future. School-House Ventilatiox. — Notwithstaneling the teachings of Chemistry and Physiology, it does not yet seem to be understood in our se'hools that carbonic aciel is a poor substitute for oxygen, in the breathing xnoevss ; that fresh air is indispensable to health ; that the x>ent-up, stifling air of our school-rooms sadly détériorâtes the health of both pupil and teacher, rendering the brain torpid or inac- tive». anel interfering more or less with study and mental de- velopment. It is a mournful fact that many of our brightest and most hopeful children die while getting their éducation, and it lias not yet been estimated how many of th<»m die from the confined and poisonous air of the school-room, super- added to excessive stuely and ove»r-tasked brains. In our treatise on ventilation, which we» offer to the x^ublic gratui- tously, we hâve quoted a distinguished member of the Board of Eelucation in New York City, Mr. Hayes, as saying that the teachers of our schools usually elie of consumption in six or seve»n years. This fae-t should deeply impress every one who has any interest in the subject of éducation. Secret of Vextilatiox.—Millions of money hâve been expended in the United States and Europe in référence te) différent plans of ventilation, but never with satisfactory re- sults, because the inventors hâve not availed themselves of an adéquate motive poicer. Air can not be moved without an adéquate force any more than a cannon bail, and therefore it is impossible to get foui air out of a building, or fresh air into it, without a motive power which is equal to the emer- gency. This motive power, consisting of a rapid, up-moving current of air, is furnished by " Gouge's Atmospheric Venti- lator, ' ' and when jjroperly adapted to the building, or place to be ventilated, will never fail in producing the most satis- factory results. Food of the Lungs—Atmospheric Impurities, Etc.— People are usually very particular, and sometimes almost dainty, in référence to their food and drink, but they seldom give much attention to the food of their lungs—the food, it 70 may be said, of tlie blood itself— which should consist of pure, une-ontaminateel air, with its full supply of vitalizing oxygen. The food of the lungs, therefore, is even more im- portant than the food of the stomach. An individual may indignantly reject his bread and butter, or his pudeling, b<»- cause it contains a mote, anel at the same time take into his lungs, from the atmosphère, the most disgusting inipurities of which it is possible to conceive, although they may not be apjiarent to the sensés. Ineleed, the atmosphère is constantly loaded with imxmri- ties to an almost increelible extent, anel is therefore an abundant source of disease. We find in it carbonic acid, ammonia, carburetted and sulphuretted hydrogen, carbonic oxide, the malarious poisons, and certain poisons which are evolved from the human body, and from ail animal organisms. We may add to thèse the various x^oisons used in manufac- turing purposes, which tend to produce disease or depress the powers of life, and also the ever-present tobacco smoke, which is blown from the mouths of smokers, loaded with effluvia from rotten teeth, or ulcerated gums and throats. The tobacco nuisance may be obviated within doors by hav- ing ventilated smoking rooms, which are spoken of in an- other place. Where any or ail of the poisons hère enumerated are un- duly concentrateel in our breathing atmosphère, espee-ially during night in our sleeping apartments, the health will gradually give way, or sudden attacks of disease will be produced, which may prove dangerous or fatal. Even horses become blind, or diseased, and that not un- frequently, in conséquence of impure air in their stables; and it is now sufficiently notorious that cows, shut up in stables with inadéquate ventilation, furnish milk of a poison- ous character, which no doubt adds materially to our mor- tality, especially among children. Ail of the evils flowing from an impure or tainted atmos- phère may be remedied by our System of ventilation, as will be seen by référence to the numerous testimonials which hâve been received from many distinguished individuals. 71 Extracts from Lettees, Etc.—The foliowing extracts from letters we»re appended to our "spécial circular," as mentioned above, and are endorsements of our System of ventilation, emanating from high sources, which we présent to the notice of the reader with much satisfaction :— Infant Sabbath School, Plymouth Chuboh.—This Church is presided over by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. In the School Room, when the doors were shut, according to Mr. Raymond, Superintendent, ''the air in the galleiy became almost stifling." Now, as the resuit of ventilation, there is "a steady and pleasant change of air." Endorsemext by Nathan Bishop, LL. D.—Mr. Bishop was offlcially con- nected for 18 years with the iargest Public Schools in New England, " carefully observing the practical working of the more popular Systems of ventilating public buildings," and says, "I consider your method of producing good venti- lation the best before the public." Chaeliee Institute, New Yoek City.—The Principal, Eli Charlier, Esq., says that for many years he had tried différent means of ventilation ; found them insufficient; tried "Gouge's apparatus; " "watched it closely; " the "re- sults are highly satisfactory ; " is " particularly useful in heavy, damp weather. " Endossement by John Dunham, Esq.—Mr. Dunham was Engineer to the Board of Education in New York, and says—" I hâve examined the more popu- lar Systems of ventilation in this country and Europe, and am convinced that yours is superior to any that I hâve seen." Mr. Dunham put the ventilating ap- paratus into three of the worst ventilated school rooms under his supervision in New York, and says—" Sinçe the work was done, thèse rooms, though crowded with scholars, hâve been well ventilated—the experiment is a complète success. " Post-Office, "Washington, D. C.—The Post Master, Hon. S. J. Bowen, says—"The effect of the ventilation has been to render the basement, which was remarkably damp, perfectly dry, and the air appears now to be as pure as in the rooms above. * * * It has saved the department more than its original cost by preventing mildew and mould from collecting on the mail bags." Paean Stevens, Esq.—He says—" I hâve used your Ventilator in my house and stable. Its opération is perfectly satisf actory." Tribune Office.—Samuel Sinclair, Esq., Tribune publisher, says—"The apparatus is exceedingly bénéficiai in ventilating our vaults, press-room, and other rooms. It has worked to our entire satisfaction. " A CHAIN WITH MANY LINES. This figurative exx^ression is typical of a séries of venti- lations which hâve been perfected in New York City, the one growing out of the other, and the whole forming an aggregate which the writer has thought proper to compare to "a chain with many links." There can be no better évi- dence of the value of a new invention than the rapid adoption of it by individuals in conséquence of hearing it 72 eulogized by others having it in use. It is in this way that our "New System of Ventilation" lias advanceel so rapidly in public estimation. Those, however, who may still be skeptical with regard to its merits, as property-owners, architects, and the heads of families, are referred to the évi- dence given below in référence to many practical and inter- esting points connected with the System in question. Among other things, it will be seen that the value of prop- erty may sometimes be greatly enhanced by adox>ting our mode of ventilation. Restaurant Ventilated—Property Quadrupled in Value.—At the corner of Exchange Place and Hanover Street is a first-class restaurant, kept by Mr. Hampe. Hère gentlemen congregate to get their lunches and other meals. The place, however, had many objections, some of which are common to most of restaurants. Bad odors from the kitchen pervaded the building, rendering the dining- room more or less uncomfortable, and causing such a disa- greeable stench in the rooms and offices above the kitchen as to drive the occupants away. Some of the rooms had been long vacated in conséquence of their unpleasant condi- tion. The kitchen, in addition to the "bad smells," was oppressively hot, so that it was difficult for the cooks to attend to their duties. In this serious dilemma, Mr. Hampe applied to me for assistance. I proceeded at once to venti- late the place, and, as soon as my labors were completed, an almost magical change was observed in the atmosphère. The heat of the kitchen was reduced to an agreeable tempéra- ture, the bad odors were no longer perceptible, the cooks put on smiling faces, and the dining-room and offices above the kitchen were rendered sweet and comfortable. Mr. Hampe was greatly pleased with the resuit, and seemed eager to pay my bill as soon as the work was completed. The rooms and offices which had long been vacated, were soon filled with occupants. One office alone, in consé- quence of its improved condition, rented for $1500 per year. Mybill for ventilating Mr. Hampe's place did not exceed $500, and yet the annual value of the building, in which it was loj3ated, was increased to more than four times that amount. 73 Another Restaurant—Moue About Flues—Swaums of Flies.—This also is a first-class restaurant, kej)t by the well-known Mr. Schultz, at 25 William Street. He had hearel of the ventilation of Mr. Hampe»'s establishment, anel hence his application to me. I found his juace in a déplor- able condition. The temjierature of his kitchen was 130 degrees, and of course the atmosphère was stifling and ojqn'cssive. The cooks and other emrjloyees suffered intensely from the heat. Addeel to the other discomforts, tliere was a swarm of Aies always jnvsemt. The hot and stifling atmosjdiere of the kitchen invaded the dining-room, which was upon the same leve»l, anel causée! many gentle- men, who came for their dinners or lunches, to désert the jDlace. The offices above the dining-room also became imprégnâted with the hot and foui air from the kitchen, and some of the occupants made strenuous efforts to hâve Mr. Schultz éjectée!. Previous to the conversation with me, an attempt had been made by a certain party to ventilate the place, but without success. Two large flues, made of wood, hael been put uj) and extended to the top of the building, Connecting one with the kitchen, anel the other with the dining-room. Thèse flues, like ail other similar flues, did not answer the purpose. Ace'ording to Mr. Schultz, the heat in the kitchen continued much the same, the swarms of flies were not abated. and the atmosphère in the dining-room was not improved. He paid the expérimenter for his labors, but said that the money had been thrown away. It was a month or two after this that the» ajqnication was made to me. Mr. Schultz wished to know whether I could ventilate his place successfuUy, to which I replied in the affirmative, but he sâid, "Several hâve promised the same thing, and I hâve paid my money without receiving any benefit." He added, in a peculiar foreign idiom—"It's no good.' I said, in reply—" What I do for you shall be suc- cessful or I will make no charge. My motto is—No success, no pay." Mr. Schultz was then willing to employ me», and I proceeded at once with the work. The dining-room was firsj; ventilate-d, and this proving a success, I next proceeded with the kitchen ; next the pastry-room ; and finally, I re- arranged and improved an old refrigerator, which I found 74 in a bad condition. Mr. Schultz acknowledge'd my work to be a success, and gave me his naine» as a référence. A good atmospluu-e now jiervadeel the dining-room ; the heat of the kitchen had been reduceel te) an agrevable température, without the présence of unwholesome odors ; the pastry- room had become acceptable to the cqx»ratives, insteael of being répulsive ; anel méat, with similar articles, could be kept as long as désirable in the refrigerator. The offices above the dining-room ceaseel to be contaminated with the foui air from the kitchen, so that the oce-ux>ants no longer made complaints, and did not ask for the e»xx)ulsion of Mr. Schultz. The s warm s of flies also, which had infested the kitchen and dining-room, immédiately disa]q)eareel upon ventilation being established, showing that there is no at- traction for them in a pure atmosphère. Banking-House — Flues a Nullity — Sickness from Foul Air.—The Banking House hère spoken of is at 18 Exchange Place. The firrn is Dennistown & Co. The man- aging partner is D. C. Cellar, Esq. Mr. Cellar had bee»n in the habit of lunching at the restaurant of Mr. Schultz, and ascertained that the pleasant atmosphère of the dining-room was due to an improved jjrocess of ventilation. Obtaining my name and address from Mr. Schultz, he immediately sent for me in consultation. He e»xpressed his satisfaction with the ventilation in the above restaurant, whie-h lie said lie had examined closely, and wished to know if the princi- ple could be applied to his banking-house. He spoke very emphatically of the foul and unwholesome air of his office, and said that lie was obliged to walk half of his time in the street, to the neglect of his business, to avoid getting sick, and, notwithstanding this précaution, he generally went home with a headache. He sought advice with r<»gard to the best means of getting rid of the noxious air which was so detrimental to him, and was told that lie would hâve to employ ventilating Hues. There were two flues already in the walls of the buileling, and, in addition to thèse, he had two open grates, instead of one, for burning coal, each with its appropriate flue, so that there were four flues altoo-ether, and two of thèse were heated specially during cold weather by grate tires. Nevertheless, there was no adéquate 75 ventilation, and Mr. Cellar was literally driven into the street, according to his own statement, to save himself from sickness. Mr. Cellar instructed me to ventilate his banking-house without delay, which was done, and as soon as the ventila- tion was establisheel, he recognizee! an improvement in the atmosphère. Within a week after this time, lie told me he had ceased to be troubled with the headache, and added, "Instead of walking the street much of the time, I now remain in my office ail day, attending to my business, and go home in the evening feeling as fresh as when I came in the morning." Dwellino-House oe D. C. Cellar, Esq.—Through the instrumentality of this gentleman, the links of our meta- phorical chain rapidly increased. Enjoying the benefits of pure air in his office during business hours, lie recognized the necessity for it in his résidence, after business had ceased. He employed me, therefore, to ventilate his kitchen and dining-room, which were to him a source of annoyance. This was done to his entire satisfaction. After a time he went to Europe, and upon lus return he employed me to ventilate his rjarl°r5 sleeping-rooms, butler's rmntry, and halls. Thèse were also done to his satisfaction, so that now he lias pure air to breathe in his banking-house during business hours, and at his résidence during the hours of relaxation and sleep. The improvement in his health, we venture to predict, will more than compensate for ail of the expense lie has incurred, and we doubt whether ail of the banking-houses in the country could purchase from him the privilège he now enjoys of breathing a healthful atmos- phère, whether asleep or awake. LlYERPOOL, LONDON AND GLOBE INSURANCE COMPANY. —This establishment is in William Street, and is one of the largest and most influential fire insurance companies in the country. We were introduced to the Company by Mr. Cellar, named above. We found a close and foul atmosphère in the rooms, causing the inmates great discomfort. We found also an open grate for burning coal, and "ventilating flues" in the walls. We did not, however, find any 70 fresh air. We speedily adjuste»d our ventilating apparatus, which gave entire satisfaction to the Company. Union Club Rooms — Uselessness of Flies.—The well-known Union Club occupie»s a magniiicent building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Twenty-First Street. Among numerous other rooms in the commoelious building is a large double parlor, devoted to conversation, cigar- smoking, etc., which was complaine»el of as being extremely uncomfortable. I had a conférence in relation to the mat- ter with the Président of the Association, Griswold Grey, Esq., to whom I was introduceel by Mr. Cellar, so frequently mentioned in thèse pages, and who is also a member of the Club. I was requesteel to call in the evening, so as to make myself fully acquainteel with the exact e-ondition of the rooms. I found the atmosphère opj)ressiv<» anel stifling. be»ing saturated with cigar-smoke, anel îvneleivel still more noxious by the carbonic acid from the brilliant gas-jets by which the jiarlor is illuminated. The kitchen, also, though remote from the parlor, sent its unwelcome odors thither, aud addeel still further to the discomforts of the atmosphère. I was informed that by eleve»n o'clock in the eveming the air woulel become so foul and pungent as to cause a copious flow of water from the eyes. It was further stateel that the Windows could not be openeel on account of the draught, and that the insetting currents of cooler air only served to drive the foul air into every part of the building. Attempts had been made to reineely this uirpleasant con- dition of things, but without success. The well-known "flue ventilation" had been put in réquisition, and no less than six of those flues were observable in the walls. The flues, however, as in ail similar cases, would not ope»rate as desired, and the beautiful parlor, of which we hâve srjoken, was rendered wholly unfit for the> accommodation of gentle- men desirous of enjoying the comforts or x>leasim>s of social life. After a full examination of the place, Mr. Grey saidto me, " Can you ventilate thèse rooms V Upon m y respond- ing in the affirmative, lie added, " Are you willing to guar- antee success, or, in case of failure, to make no charge for your services V To this also I responded in the affirmative, as I do in ail similar cases, and without further renuarks 77 Mr. Grey directed me to proc»»*^! with the work. This was sx>eeelily e»xecuted, and within a fortnight afterwards my bill was ce)vere»el by a check, whie'h ineli(»ateel that the work had give»u satifaction. Since that time I hâve occasionally seen Mr. Gre»y,and other members of the Association, and they ail agrée that the ventilation is in eve»ry respect satisfactory. Aectk; Ixsurance Company—Flues and Steam"-Pipes Fail to Ventilate, etc.—This Company is at 104 Broad- way. Vincent Tilyou, Esq., is the Presielent. I received an introuction to the Company through the Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance Company. This link in our somewhat extendeel chain is one of great interest and practi- cal importance. The office and rooms of the Arctic Com- pany are a little below the pavement. The Président com- plained seriously of the foul air of the place, and saie! that it had impaired his health. Ararious devices had been tried to ventilate the rooms, but, as usual, every experiment had failecl. Five or six "ventilating flues" had been tried in vain, and I heard the old and oft-repeated story that the flues would not draw. Sky-lights were superaddeel, but they gave no relief. Then followeel the exx^eriment, which is by no means a new one in the art of ventilation, of x>utting steam-pipes into the flues. The object of this device was to rarify the air, and produce ascensional currents. But there was no removal of the foul air. It still remained to annoy Mr. Tilyou, as well as the officers anel clerks. Continuing to suffer from the confined air, beyond the limit of ordinary endurance, Mr. Tilyou ultimately applied to me for relief. I was to officiate as a doctor in the cure of his maladies ; but insteae! of using medicine for the purpose, I was to employ what was infinitely préférable in his case, the pana- cea of fresh air. The following letter of Président Tilyou, relating to the ventilation of the Arctic Insurance Rooms, was kinelly fur- nished at our request, and will be read with pleasure by ail who are interested in the subject of ventilation. Office of the Aetic Fiée Insueanoe Company, -» 104 Beoadway, New York, August 27tb, 18G9.) Hexky A. Gouge, Esq.—Dear Sir : Tbe ventilating apparatus introduced by you into our office, occupying tbe large basement of tbe above named build- ing, does its work perfectly and. to our entire satisfaction. Previously, an 78 attempt at ventilation bad been made by introducing steam pipes into flues from the basement opening into the atmosphère at the top of the building, with the expectation that the heated pipes would rarify the air in the flues, and thereby cause an ascending current which would carry off the foul air from our office. They were introduced evidently at great expense, and were a total failure. M'y own health, and alsx> that of our Secretary and employées, suffered seriously, and the foul and impure atmosphère of our office was a subject of daily remark by our Directors and others visiting us. Since you introduced your Atmospheric Ventilating Apparatus the air has been sweet and wholesome, and entirely free from bad odors. None of us now suffer from headache, or the lassitude and sickly feeling which always results from breathing foul air. We cheerfully recommend the adoption of your apparatus by others situated as we are. Yours, etc., V. TILYOU, Président. SPECIAL CASES OF VENTILATION. Peeseeyino-Room and Dwelling-House. — In this connection we take pleasure in referring to A. S. Hatch, Esq., of the firm of Fiske and Hatch, who conduct one of the largest banking-houses in New York City, and who are known ail over the e-eimmercial world. Two years ago Mr. Hatch applied to me, through his architect, to build a Preserving-Room for him, which was doneaccording to order. With this he was much pleased, and lie wished to know whether his dwelling coule! not be ventilated upon the same principle. Tins led me to examine his house, which is an élégant structure in Park Avenue, and which I found to be extremely déficient in ventilation, notwithstanding the usual supply of "ventilating flues" in the walls. The parlors were rendered offensive by the odors from the kitchen, while the second and third floors were equally offensive from contiguous water-closets. It need only be stated that those difficulties were entirely removed bythe employment of our ventilating apparatus, which was fully appreciated by Mr. Hatch and his family. Instead of the foul odors which had annoyed them so much, they now had a sweet and pleasant atmosphère. Dwelling-House — Skepticism — A Severe Test. — We hâve occasion in this connection to introduce the name of W. B. Hatch, Esq., who is a représentative man and the active partner of Fairbanks and Co., the notée! se-ale manufacturer s. He came to me in a skeptical mood to inquire about ventilation, and seemed to be almost anory 79 with himself for condescending to talk upon the subject. He hael no faith in any of the theorie»s or Systems of ventila- tion, and consielered them ail as so many delusions. This stubborn sx>irit of skepticism we generally consider a good sign, and take pleasure now and then in witnessing its mani- festation. Accordingly, we made the best exxflanations we could to Mr. Hatch, but without changing his views. He could not understane! how an insignificant jet of gas, burn- ing in a lantern, connected with a séries of air-ducts, could produce the powerful ascensional currents which are neces- sary for good ventilation. The cause was altogether too slight, in lus estimation, for so grand an effect. He left us for the time, proposing to reflect upon the subject. He returned in a few days, and said that his house was much in need of ventilation, but that he was still without faith in our system. We then proposed to ventilate his house, and make no charge for our services unless we succee»eleel in giv- ing him satisfaction. He accepted our proposition, and we accompanied him to his résidence at the corner of Madison Avenue anel Forty-Second Street. We found an élégant house sadly déficient in ventilation, which is much too com- mon with the élégant houses of jNTew York City. Some time elapsed, however, before we commencée! our labors. The house, meanwhile, had been closed for the summer, the family having gone to the country. The person in charge of it was obliged to open the Windows every elay or two for the admission of fresh air, which was necessary to prevent the carpets, pictures, and furniture from moulding, or receiv- ing other injury, which they were liable to do from the damp and impure atmosphère of the house. We proceeded to ventilate the house, which we did on the most extensive scale. Skeptical as we had found Mr. Hatch in our first interviews, he was not disposed to adopt any half-way measures in the proposed ventilation. He ordered us to ventilate the kitchen, parlors, sleeping-rooms, closets, main hall, and last, though not least, the re»frigera- tor. Notwithstanding the house was large, we arranged to accomrilish the entire ventilation with only two gas-jets. Our work being completed, it remained for Mr. Hatch to say whether it was acceptable or otherwise. He proposed a practical but severe test to détermine this matter. Instead 80 of having the eloors anel Windows of the» house» opc»ned e»very day or two for the admission of fresh air, as had been his ctistom, lie ordered it to be tiglitly closed for two week s. Meanwhile the ventilating apparatus was to be kept in opération. The weather being warm, he knew veuy well that this test would settle the question as to the value of our ventilation. We had no objection to the test. Indeed, we solicit exactly such scrutiny as this; and it would be well for ail persons who hâve resolveel to hâve their houses or buildings ventilated, to be just as skeptical as Mr. Hatch, before agreeing to jpay out their money. The two weeks having passée!, Mr. Hatch proceedeel to open anel examine his house. He went into the kitchen, the parlors, the sleeping-rooms, and the closets. There was no part of the interior that did not come uneler his seare-h- ing insx>ection. He hurried from one room to another, but coule! find no évidence of a elanix.) or impure atmosphère. He examinée! the ventilating apparatus, and found it to be in opération. He conclud(»d, therefore, that it hael been silently but steadily at work for the previous two weeks, without any guardian or overseer, conveying away every particle of the damp, mephitic, or unwholesome vapors and gases from the interior of the building. After a somewhat prolongée! investigation, he said, very emphatically, ' ' The atme)sphere of my house is as jmre as the out-door atmos- X>here !" Mr. Hatch is now a willing advocate of our Sys- tem of ventilation, considering it his duty to make known his convictions to those who may value his opinion urjon the subject. Gleniiam Hôtel — No Success, no Pay — This is a first-class hôtel in Fifth Avenue. We found the kitchen in a wretched condition, being very hot and very foul. Some of the cooks had left in consequene'e, and those that remained found it difficult to attend to their duties. The disgusting odors from the kitchen, moreover, hael made their way ux^ in the rear of the house to some of the e!egant rooms above. This, of course, rendered them untenantable», or, to say the least, impaired their attractiveness for first- class occupants. A new cooking-range had been put into the kitchen, and in connection with it a large brick fine had 81 been constructed, which extended from the kitchen to the top of the house. This flue, built at great expense, was guaran- teed to ventilate the kitchen ; but like ail guarantees of the kind, it amounted to nothing. The hot and foul air of the kitchen remained ; and, in the veriest despair, not wishing to hâve the'cooks suffocated, a large hole was made in the wall which separated the kitchen from the rear yard. Through this aperture, together with the open doors and Windows, it was hoped to obtain a little fresh air. Under thèse peculiar circumstances, the lessees of the house, Messrs. J. E. Miller and Co., called upon us for our services, and in conséquence of the guarantee mentioned above, which had proved a snare and a delusion, they wished to know if we were willing to adhère to our established motto, " No success, no pay." To this we made no objection, and riroceeded to ventilate the kitchen, in which we were entirely successful. The atmosphère was rendered cool and pleas- ant, and the cooks no longer made any complaint. We also constructed a Preserving-Room for the establishment, which the lessees had discovered was indispensable to a first-class hôtel. Bloodgood and Company's Banking-House. — Tins well-known establishment is at 22 William Street. The proprietors,.Messrs. John Bloodgood and Co., are the treas- urers of the Peabody Fund, designed for the érection of a fitting monument to the late George Peabody, Esq. We found the atmosphère of the place in a horrible condition. The clerks and officers suffered exceedingly. But this is an old story which we need hardly repeat. We ventilated the place, anel an immédiate change was perceived in the atmosphère. " It's ail right now !" said one of the clerks, whom Mr. Bloodgood interrogated upon the subject. "It's an entirely différent place !" said another clerk. " We felt the change at once!" said a third. "Ail the différence imaginable !" said a fourth. " It's a pleasure to work hère now!" said a fifth. Thèse were some of the expressions of the clerks in référence to the atmosphère, after ventilation had been established. Our bill for the job was $593, which Mr. Bloodgood said was cheap enough. 82 Union Telegraph Company.—This Company is locatod at 145 Broadway. We ventilated the office», in which we found a close atmosphère, not at ail agreeable to the occu- pants. The well-known Président of the Company, William Orton, Esq., in a letter to us, says, "The hall of the first floor of our building, which had become exceedingly offen- sive from the use of urinais, has been rende»red entirely inodorous, and the air kept continually pure therein by the introduction of your Atmospheric Ventilator, with the action of which we are entirely satisfied." Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States.—This well-known institution is now at 92 Broad- way, but will soon be removed to the élégant building erected for the purpose at the corner of Cedar Street and Broadway. The Vice-Président, H. B. Hyde, Esq., is a member of Dr. Hall' s church, on Fifth Avenue, and being pleased with our ventilation of said church, was induced to consult us in relation to the ventilation of the office and rooms of the above Company. He described the atmosphère of the place as being almost suffocating ; and although the Company were not to remain in it more than a year, in con- séquence of the proposed removal to the new building, Mr. Hyde gave me an order to ventilate the office and rooms without delay, as he was unwilling to be exposed any longer to so foul an atmosphère. He also gave me an order to ven- tilate the new building mentioned above. The resuit of our ventilation of the old building, etc., is duly set forth in the annexed letter to us, dated December 30, 1868 : H. A. Gouge, Esq., New York—Dear Sir : I take great pleasure in giving you my testimony as to the good qualities and perfo nuances of your "Atmos- pheric Ventilator," and hâve no hésitation in saying that it is the most perfect and serviceable article for the use inteaded that I hâve ever seen. Having had récent occasion to examine the various ventilators offered to the public, I speak not entirely at random. Your ventilators are in daily approved use, both at my house and at the office of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, No. 92 Broadway, New York, where they may be examined by those who désire to secure a pure and healthy atmosphère. JJ. B. Hyde. Ventilation in Chicago.—In May, during the présent year (1869), we ventilated the Comptroller's Office in Chi- cago, which is located in the Court-House. The work was superintended by Mr. W. I. Reid, who was at that time our assistant, and to whom we are mainly indebted for the 83 particulars relating to the work. The court-house is over- run with rats and cockroaches, rendering the atmosphère» extremely offensive. It was found necessary to remove some of the flooring, under which the rats had an abiding place, and the stench emitted from tins enclosure was horrible beyond description. The Comptroller' s Room, nevertheless, was the most offensive place in the building, which was partly due to its situation over the jail kitchen. So foul and poisonous was its atmosphère, that scarcely a day passed without some one of the employées being obliged to go home in conseeiuence of illness. Mr. Charles C. Chase, the Comptroller' s spécial assistant, is spoken of as having sufferee! more than any one else from the foul atmosphère. Nausea and headache were his leading troubles. After ven- tilation was established, he told Mr. Reid, with great appar- ent j)leasure, that thèse troubles had entirely ceased, and that, in conséquence of his improved health, he was enabled to extend his labors into the night, which, previously, he had found to be impossible. The City Comptroller's endorsement will be found among our Testimonials. church ventilation. The Christian Church.—This is a handsome édifice in Twenty-Eighth Street, near Broadway. Like most of the churches, it was poorly ventilated. The atmosphère was very close and disagreeable. One of the leading members of the church, referring to the bad atmosphère, remarked— ' ' Although we hâve a brilliant and éloquent preacher, it is impossible, in this sleepy and confined air, for many of his hearers to keep awake during the services." P. B. Roberts, Esq., who is a well-known citizen of New York, is one of the trustées of the church, and was appointed to make inquiries in référence to its ventilation. It happened that we had constructed a Preserving-Room for him, a year or two previously, at his résidence in Fifth Avenue, with which he was pleaseel, and he naturally sought us out in référence to ventilating the Christian Church. I examined the building at his request, and found that various experiments had been made with a view to its ventilation, but without success. One experiment consisted of openings in the ceiling, wmich were to convey the stagnant 84 air of the church into the gvneral spaev be^twevn the ceil- ing anel the roof, passing ultimately through. opcnings in the roof, terminateel by tubular caps. Another ewperi- ment had relation to the large chandelier in the dôme of the church. Tubes connected with the gas-jets of the chande»lier were made to pass through the ceiling above into the ox^en sj^ace alreaely inelicated, and then through the capped ori- fices in the roof. This, we believe, is a French device, but does not seem to answer a good xmrpose. I furnished a plan to Mr. Roberts for tlie ventilation of the church, which lie accepted upon condition that I would make no charge for my work unless it x^roved sue>e»essful. I Xuoevexled, accordingly, to ventilate the church, and, in commotion with it, a number of other rooms, used for lec- tures, Sunday-school, prayer meetings, etc. My bill for the entire work was 81,575, for which I promptly receiveel a check, showing that the ventilation was satisfactory to Mr. Roberts and those whom lie represented. Calvary Baptist Church—Nathan Bishop, LL. D.— This church is in Twenty-Third Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The school-rooms connected with it were damp and unhealthy. On this account we were ajquied to for our services by Dr. Nathan Bishop, a distinguished scholar, whose name holds a prominent place among our Testimonials, and who is a member of the above church. We ventilated the rooms in question, and relieved them of the damj) and unhealthy atmosphère. The church itself is to be ventilated as soon as the requisite funds are obtained. Dr. Hall's Church—A Rigid Contract — Church- Headache, etc.—This church is at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Nineteenth Street. Dr. Hall is very popular, and is attracting large anel fashionable audiences. He preached in Dublin, Ireland, before coming to this country, where he was also popular. The close atmos- phère of the church, due to the crowds of people assem- bling tliere, was a subject of gênerai complaint. Some of the leading members were almost unwilling to attend the services in conséquence of suffering with headache, which is one of the usual concomitants of foul air. Various popular devices for ventilating the church hael been tried, some of 85 which we will briefly notice. Apertures had been made in the ceiling for the escayje of the foul air, but, as usual, it would not make its escape. Side and end Windows, with traiis, so as to be opened or closed at will, had been employed, but they proved to be worthless. At length the Board of Trustées ajjplied to me^asking whether I could give them any relief. I proposed to ventilate the church, and make no charge for my labors unless I should prove successful. To tins the trustées assented, and a lawyer was selected to draft an article of agreement, setting forth that I was to ventilate the church aforesaid, including the lecture- room and school-room, and render each and ail of them free from noxious gases, and other atmospheric impurities, or hâve no légal claim upon the church for payment. It was further provided that the trustées should hâve a certain definite time to test the ventilation, and in case it should not prove satisfactory to them, a committee of investigation was to be appointed to décide the questions at issue, determining whether I should receive the full amount of my bill, or only a x^art of the same, or whether indeed I should receive any- tliing at ail. In case it should be decided by the committee that my ventilating aj)paratus had no value, it was provided that I should remove said apparatus at my own expense, and leave the church-building in the same good condition in which I found it. This légal document was duly executed, and, in accord- ance with its provisions, I proceeded to ventilate the church, having voluntarily placed myself at the mercy of the trustées. If the reader should inquire why so rigid a contract was proposed by the trustées, he may be reminded that exorbitant sums of money hâve been occasionally paid for exTieriments in ventilation which proved to be utter failures ; and it lias further happened, in some instances, that additional sums of money had to be expended in remov- ing the worthless apparatus and putting the house or build- ing into its previous good condition. It is entirely proper, therefore, that our citizens should protect themselves against contingencies of this unfortunate character. If less confi- dence had been reposed in adventurous but plausible experi- menters in ventilation, we would hâve less trouble in com- mending ourself to the favor and appréciation of a generous public. 86 When the ventilation of the» church was completed, a rigid investigation was ente»reel into, and a noteel chemist was employed to give his opinion in relation to the motive power which we enqdoy in our system of ventilation. We hâve not this document at hand, and therefore do not know whether the opinions of the chemist were favorable or unfavorable. We are happy to say, however-, that after a full investigation of the subject, our bill, amounting to 82,700, was paid in full, which is a sufficient indication that our work received the sanction of the Board of Trustées. Among the prominent members of the church who hâve signified their approval of the ventilation, we will ventnre to name William Paton, Esq., of the firm of Paton and Co., 341 Broadway, extensive linen importers ; Parker Handy, Esq., Vice-Président of the Third National Bank, and H. B. Hyde, Esq., Vice-Président of the Equitable Life Assur- ance Society of the United States. As an évidence of Mr. Hyde' s axopreciation, he employed us to ventilate the office and rooms now occupied by the above Life Assurance Society, as well as the new and <»le- gant building at the corner of Cedar Street and Broadway, to which the Company will remove as soon as it is finished. Mr. Paton's testimony in regard to the ventilation is interesting. He is devoid of the sensé of smell, which physicians tell us is no uncommon thing, and was incapable, therefore, of detecting any unpleasant odor in the atmos- phère of the church through this important sensé. Never- theless, he was always advised of a foul atmosphère in the church by the récurrence of a headache, which would manifest itself soon after takinghis seat. * It is interesting to know that he has had none of this headache since the church was ventilated. It matters not whether he sits in the body of the church, or in either of the galleries, he is equally free from suffering. This indicates that the ventilation is equally good throughout the whole interior of the church. This church-headache, therefore, as it may be properly termed, is clearly the resuit of foul air, and the discovery is impor- tant, inasmuch as physicians tell us that we must first ascertain the cause of a disease before we can be successful in applying a remedy. In Mr. Paton's case, therefore, and in hundreds of similar cases, the remedy is ventilation • and 87 but for the ventilation of the church in question, Mr. Paton assures us that he would be unable to participate in the services. Objections.—Notwithstanding there is a flood of testi- mony in favor of the ventilation of this church, which has already secured to us several large and important contracts, we hâve heard of casual objections which we shall briefly notice. One of thèse lias référence to the cold air which, it is stated, cornes up occasionally from the registers in the floor. This is no fault of ours. There are four air-ducts, unconnected with the heating apparatus, which lead to the exte.rior of the building, and which were not intended to be open in cold weather. The air-ducts below the floor need some modification, in accordance with our original plan, and this will probably be done by arrangement with the trustées. Another objection has référence to currents of air which were perceptible within a few feet of the lower open- ings in the large air-ducts ascending from the interior of the church. For certain reasons we placed thèse openings about three feet above the floor, contrary to our judgment. Since then, some of the openings hâve been placed nearer to the floor, which has obviated the difficulty. The other openings can not be changed, on account of the construction of the building. The objection is trivial, however, so long as the gênerai atmosphère of the church is agreeable and healthful. With regard to perceptible currents of air within the interior of the church, it is not pretended that any exist apart from the registers and the openings in the air-ducts, in relation to which we hâve just given an ex- planation. There are one or two other trivial objections which do not seem to require notice. SCHOOL-ROOM VEXTILATION—STARTLING FACTS AND DISCLOSURES. The impure air in the school-rooms in New York City and Brooklyn hâve long been proverbial ; but it has not been generally known, so far as I know, that it has tended to shorten the lives of the teachers. A startling fact in rela- tion to this matter has been communicated to me by John Hayes, Esq., a well-known légal gentleman, who was a 88 member of the Board of Education in New York City, and of course well posted in every thing pertaining to our schools. He tells me that the teachers, particularly the women, usually die of consumption in six or seven years. This mortality Mr. Hayes attributes to the impure air of the school-rooms. This is a frightful mortality, and if teachers suffer in this way, the children under their tuition must also suffer. We are surely not justifiable in permitting such a sacrifice of human life, when we can so easily pre- vent it by proper ventilation, which would cost but a trifling comparative sum. We literally slaughter our children— whom we love so well, and who cling to us for protection and support—by sending them to the public schools. Of what avail is an éducation if we poison and destroy the body? With regard to consumption, spoken of by Mr. Hayes, we are now told by the médical profession that it is frequently produced by foul air. No wonder, therefore, that school-teachers die so frequently of the disease. We hâve ventilated a few of the private schools in New York City, but hâve not had an opportunity to do much in respect to the public schools. The subject of school ventila- tion has been considerably agitated for a year or so by the différent Boards of Education, but nothing of conséquence has yet been achieved, and the school children and teachers are still suffering for the want of fresh air. With regard to ventilation of the private schools, we take pleasure in refer- ring to the impressive letters, among our Testimonials, of Nathan Bishop, LL.D., Professor Elie Charlier, S. A. Far- rand, Esq., and John Dunham, Esq. An abstract of those letters will be found on page 71. School-House No. 19, Brooklyn, E. D.—Being con- sulted in référence to this school, we found six of the rooms without Windows, and therefore without communication with the external air. The light was admitted imperfectly through glass partitions connected with other school-rooms. Of course, there was no chance for ventilation. The Principal of the school, Mr. Valentine, had frequently complained of the rooms, and his daughter, a teacher, protested that she could not remain within them without getting sick. Attempts had been made to ventilate the rooms with tin tubes, which were made to pass through the floors into the basement 89 beneath, where they communicated with the external air. The experiment, however, did not succeed. We adjusteel our ventilating apparatus, and had no elifficulty in supjily- ing each of the rooms with fresh air, as was attested by Mr. Valentine and his associate teachers. See Testimonial. What the Brooklyn Union says.—The editor of the Brooklyn Union, in a somewhat caustic article in référence to the schools of that city, entitled "Cruelty to our School- Children," expresses himself as follows : " It seems cruel, but we can not help it." Thèse were the words of an intelligent teacher with référence to the crowding of over four hundred pupils into a séries of rooms in the primary department of one of the best of our public schools. And it was cruel. The rooms were next to the ground floor, in a narrow street, running through a low part of the city. They contained comfortable seats for three hundred and fifty at most, and the other children were packed on narrow and straight seats along the sides of each room. The ventilation, which is better in the rooms referred to than in most of the city school-houses, was very poor, even in the clear February air of the day on which we visited the school. The effects of bad air are generally conceded to be poisonous, but the public mind is dull, sluggish and ill-informed as to what really is bad air. As long as cracks, balf-set Windows and doors ajar, let in draughts of outside air, the condition of our rooms is thought to be tolerable. Dullness, indisposition to work, slight headache and restlessness under school discipline, are regarded as normal incidents of the primary school, if not of ail schools ; and so long as we do not realize the f etid horrors of the Black Hole of Calcutta, the public let the matter slide, along with other questions in which money or political préjudice is not palpably prominent. Yet in thèse unventilated school-rooms we sow the seeds of bodily disease, of mental weakness, and of moral distemper, which will come back to plague us as sure as f ate, and disturb us with pestilence, and in the end swell our taxes for Health Boards, prisons, and poor-houses. The hours spent in our primary schools prépare the pupils for the ravages of scarlet fever and diphtheria, for the various forms of summer complaints, and for diseases of the lungs. Thèse are facts which those having charge of our schools must prépare to face. Every day that the schools are left crowded as they now are, adds to the responsibility which rests on some one, and which the people most naturally place on the Board of Education, The Foulest School-House in New York.—Oliver Dyer has told us about the ' ' Wickedest Man in New York," and it falls to our lot to say something about the Foulest School-House in New York. The School referred to is in City Hall Place, not far from the Five Points—a fitting and suggestive companionship. The story is this : Mr. Jackson, Chairman of the Warming and Ventilating Committee under the old Board of Education, consulted us in référence to the 90 ventilation of the schools. I requested him to send me to the foulest school-house in the city, as a test of my ability to ventilate it, and this one was selected for the purpose. Mr. Jackson said, "If you can ventilate this place and escape with your life, you may be considered a marvel of human endurance." I decided to make the experiment, and proceeded to examine the building, accompanied by my draughtsman. The school was in session. We passed through twenty or more of the rooms. Each room was crowded with boys and girls. There were probably 1,500 pupils in the aggre- gate. The atmosphère was horrible beyond description. No words can give an adéquate idea of the combination of stenches that saluted our unwilling nostrils. My draughts- man became deathly sick, and had to leave the rooms on three différent occasions in pursuit of fresh air. When we reached the lower floor of the building, the female principal invited our attention to a q^articular room, which we ail entered. The stench in this enclosure was almost beyond human endurance. "This room," said the lady, "wecall the hospital." "Whydo you call it the hospital?" we inquired. "Because," she answered, "no female teacher, during the last year and a half, has been able to teach hère more than six days without becoming sick." I furnished a plan to Mr. Jackson for the ventilation of this very foul place—this nest of free-school abominations— and agreed to perform my work successfuUy or make no charge for my labors. Before my proposition was acted upon, however, there was a change in the Board of Educa- tion, and thus the matter has rested ever since. The new Board of Education, I am happy to state, are fully alive to the importance of School Ventilation, and it is to be hoped, for the sake of humanity, that so grand a desideratum will not be much longer neglected. 91 WRETCHED CONDITION OF THE SCHOOL-HOUSES OF THE ME- TROPOLES—THE KILLING OF TEACHERS AND PUPILS BY FOUL AIR. Under this heading the New York Tribune for July 27, 1867, lias a report in référence to the Public Schools of our metropolis, which occupies rallier more than four columns. Its révélations are of the most frightful character. We in- vite attention to the report, so that the Board of Education may be constantly reminded of the duty which they owe the public. The Tribune, referring to the report, expresses itself as follows : The facts which our reporters tell in other columns, concerning the sanitary condition of the school-houses of this city, will shake the popular confidence. Thorough inspection of a large proportion of our public schools, located in widely separated portions of the city, shows that not one single building can be found wherein the occupants bave not been daily poisoned with foul air, through utter want of any adéquate System of ventilation. Sixty, eighty, or one hundred children bave been packed into rooms capable of decently accommodating only one-half that number, and then compelled to breathe the vitiated air which finds no way of escape from the over-crowded room. In some cases attempts hâve been made to provide a way for the fresh air to get in, or for the foul air to get out, but the architects of thèse devices bave not realized the importance of combining the two movements. In most of the school-houses the Windows are depended upon for a supply of fresh air, but on damp or cold days it is mani- festly unsafe to hâve the draft from the Windows precipitated directly upon the heads and backs of those pupils who, by the f aulty construction of the assembly or recitation rooms, are placed upon a level with the window sills. In thèse vital points the more recently constructed school édifices are no better than the old ones. Money has been lavishly expended upon some of thèse houses, but not a dollar devoted to that which should be insured to every individual when he or she enters any public institution—pure air. If the question of cost is brought up as an objection to remedying the evil which now exists in thèse houses, it should be a sufficient reply to say that the health and perhaps the lives of two thousand teachers and two hundred thousand children are dépendant upon a reform. Let us now follow the reporter of the Tribune in his visits to the schools. Out of 150 buildings, he exam- ined only twenty-one, and says, "Although confident we hâve seen the best, we are by no means certain of having seen the worst. The best are bad enough. They tell us a suffi- ciently harrowing story." The reporter further says, "Bad as are places of worship and amusement, our public schools are worse. How bad they are we never knew until we beheld what the readers of the Tribune may now see by looking through an unprejudiced pair of spectacles." 92 Grammar School Ne). 33.—Tins was tho first school visitée! by the rex>orter. In describing it he' sx»eaks of tlie "herme'tically sealeelgalleries" as having "an insupportable atmosx'diere," anel goeson with lus elosearptioii as follows : " Does not this bad air affect you ?" was asked of a teacher whose pale face interested us. " Of course it does. We very often hâve headaches, and teachers never hâve good blood." Later we saw this young girl in a small recitation room, surrounded by eighty children, who were divided into two classes, she teach- ing one division, while the assistant beside her taught the other. None of the other recitation rooms were quite as offensive as this extrême case, neverthe- less they were ail objectionable, and without other than window ventilation. Every one contained twiee as many children as there was air for them to breathe. Passing to the Grammar Department, we were ushered into a large and comfort- able looking hall, ornamented at one end with scriptural texts, among which was the command, "Love thy neighbor as thyself." It may be satisf actory to the Local Board of that Ward to know that it strengthened us in our détermina- tion to play the ungrateful part of public inspecter and benefactor. There was nothing to complain of in this hall, save that, as usual, no adéquate provision had been made for ventilation. " How do you ventilate ?" was asked. "By means of Windows. Those two ventilators are almost useless. ********** Going down into the play-ground we found that the yard room was exceed- ingly small, and that the most of the recess is spent in the basement of the building, which, being open on one side, is called a covered yard. The ceiling is low, no sun ever pénétrâtes within, and the atmosphère was much worse than any we had yet passed through. Hundreds of children stood about and inhaled stagnant carbonic acid gas at every breath. Instead of bracing the lungs to endure the bad air of recitation-rooms, recess aggravâtes rather than diminishes the evil. This statement holds good for many other schools. Nauseated, we made our way across the yard to a primary section, which, owing to the over- crowded condition of the school-building, bad taken refuge in the basement of an adjoining church. This basement is several feet under ground, is always damp, even in the warmest weather—on the 12th day of June there was a fire in the stove—and for darkness, abominable ventilation and gênerai unhealthiness, has not its equal outside of a tenement house. In winter the rain took possession of the floor, until a hole was made near the door, whereby the invading élément now descends into the cellar and adds to the perpétuai damp- ness. And this basement, for which an annual rent of f 800 is paid, has been occupied during the last three or four years. Complaints hâve been made to the Board of Education, who hâve referred them to a committee, and there the matter has ended. That such a scandai should be tolerated is a marvel, and were not the children of this Ward of poor parentage, the fact would long since hâve been made public. Because children are wretchedly accommodated at home, however, is no reason why they should obtain nothing better at school, and to subject educated teachers to such a pestilent prison, is adding insuit to injury. Grammar School No. 17.—Eebuilt, says tlie reporter in 1859. A marble slab was conspicuous, containing the names of the Commissioners, architect, etc. There beino- an 93 architect in the case, the rerjorter naturally inquired how the • building was ventilated. ' ' By opening the Windows, " was the answer. The heat also was unequally distributed, so that the pupils near the stove were baked, while those at a dis- tance suffered with the cold. This was particularly the case in the galleries, where ail the light and air came from one window immediately behind the highest bench. When the window was open, the children on the ujvper benches would ireeze ; when closed, the atmosphère was impregnated with jjoison. The balance of the story is related as follows : Descending to the Primary Department, we found matters worse, instead of better. This portion of the school is always more f ully attended than any other, and as the building in Forty-Seventh Street has 3,000 registered pupils, it requires no vivid imagination to picture the child-packing of the basement floor. This I call the Black Hole of Calcutta, said a teacher showing us a dark gal- lery. It was a pitif ul sight to see ail those helpless little children being drilled in discase rather than in spelling. Crossing a miserably confined play-ground, we entered a neglected looking building which, originally a third-rate private house, had been converted into school-rooms. It is almost needless to say that the rooms—and there are six—are small, with low ceilings, and in eveiy respect worse than any in the school proper, galleries excepted. Every room was crowded with little boys, and every room was insufferable in point of atmosphère. It is but just to add that this state of things will not last much longer, as a new school-house in Fif ty-second street will be opened next season. This additional accommodation will do away with the necessity for a supplementary buileling ; but as the evil has been tolerated for six years, it is rather important to bring it before the public. The children are of excellent parentage, and evidently ac- customed to décent homes. The wrong done them, therefore, is the greater, as by attending school their condition is made worse instead of better. That they are sent into such an atmosphère shows the culpable neglect of parents, who rarely, if ever, visit the schools where their children pass 30 hours of every week. Bidding f arewell to the "dreary pile," we wondered how the architect could hâve screwed his courage to the sticking place of a permanent marble slab, that now looked to me more like a grave-stone, on which might well hâve been inscribed, " Sacred to the Perpetuity of Carbonic Acid Gas." Grammar School No. 40.—This building, although erected but three years ago, is represented by the reporter as being more imperfectly ventilated than any yet visited. The upper hall is capable of seating 800 boys, and is hermetically sealed, excepting the Windows. The same is true of the small rooms on the same floor. Below, the rear recitation rooms are most uncomfortable. In two of thèse, which are so small and stifling as to be almost uninhabitable, an expérimental ventilation is being tried. Whether the air is any better than it was, the reporter does not know. 94 It is now quite bad enough ; yet classes of fifty récite in thèse hen-coops. Owing to a high wall, several of the rooms- are very dark, so dark in winter as to render the ciphering on the blackboard a difficult opération. The reporter com- plètes the picture of the above school as follows : Several teachers in the Grammar Department complained of the bad air and absence of light. The stench in the playground is unparalleled in our investi- gation, for added to the gases from the outbuildings are those proceeding from a large stable in Twenty-fourth street, in the rear of which this school-house was deliberately built. We are also told that the ground on which it stands was formerly occupied by a slaughter-house. Perhaps it would do no harm were the Board of Health to concern itself in our educational establishments, and sit in judgment upon the purchases of school property. Children will not com- plain, for it is astonishing with what facility their lungs accommodate them- selves to foul gases. Geammae School " No. 50.—The building devoted to this school is on high ground, with no nuisance in the neighborhood, and no high walls to obstruct either light or air. The play-ground was clean and fresh, and there was no perceptible odor from the out-buildings. Thus far the reporter is complimentary, but he says the building is with- out adéquate ventilation. Windows, as usual, are chiefly relied on for that purpose. He says tliere are a few ' ' upper ventilators" in the Primary Department, but acknowledges that they render very little service. An " upper ventilator" is understood to be merely a register. Peimaey School No. 29.—This building is dirty and without ventilation. ' ' The play-ground is said to be damp, and the four recitation-rooms on the same floor are equally so, added to which two of them are quite dark. Yet, in spite of dampness and darkness, seventy-two boys are hud- dled into a space of about 10 by 15 feet ; and in a somewhat larger room, one hundred boys clad in quite as much dirt as clothing, are packed as closely as herrings. The teacher in attendance complained very seriously of the atmosphère, and if offensive with open doors and Windows, what must be the condition of such a room in winter ? Much of the evil wrought is owing to receiving more children than the school can accommodate, one thousand being the number registered, and six hundred being the maximum for comfort and health. ' ' Prima»y School No. 38.—With regard to ventilation in this building, an intelligent teacher said, "We dépend 95 entirely upon the Windows." But what do you do in the winter ? The teacher answered, ' ' Windows still, and then the platform is so cold that I nearly freeze. I take refuge in the class-rooms." In one of the class-rooms, says the reporter, the air is so bad, owing to the vicinity of a water-eloset belonging to a public school in the rear, that the health of the teacher who formerly occupied it failed signally. Grammar School No. 1.—Tins does not seem to be a No. 1 school so far as heat and ventilation are concerned. This is the reporter' s story : Entering the Girls' Grammar Department, we discovered a few vacuum but no plénum ventilators. "Windows are our salvation" said a teacher who ushered us into two small air-tight class-rooms, in each of which sat 50 scholars. During the winter one corner is rendered so hot, in conséquence of the furnace flue passing up between the walls, that no one can sit in its vicinity, while at a short distance from it the room is quite cold. This department has 50 more pupils than can be properly accommodated. One of the female principals said to the reporter, " You are right in finding fault with the ventilation, but in the Pri- mary Department you will find it much worse. I was down there fifteen minutes yesterday, and felt that I had remained fifteen minutes too long." The reporter adds, ' ' This teacher was correct Five hun- dred and fifty little children are herded together in a space only large enough for two-thirds the number, and the two galleries are not only damp and dark, but in winter are very cold, a condition of température that preclueles the opening of Windows. As whatever ventilation tliere may be cornes from below only, the state of thèse galleries must be poisonous indeed, especially as 150 children are congregated in each gallery from 9 o'clock a.m. to 2 o'clockp.m. Even with doors and Windows open, the teacher confined there shook lier head mournfully, and told a sad story of an assistant who had been obliged to obtain a month' s leave of absence after doing duty in this human shamble." Primary School No. 8.—Erected in 1857. Would be creditable to New York, says the reporter, had efficient ventilation been procured. "There are egress ventilators productive of little good. The air in some of the upper class-rooms is close, and several teachers bewailed the fact. 96 The covered play-ground teems with foul ga^es, and the» are»a open to the sun is about the» width of an ally-way. Six hundreel and fifty children seek récréation hère." Primary School No. 42.—In the Primary Deriartment the reqieirter found 1,100 children where 500 ought to be. ' ' How do you manage V ' the rex^orter asked. ' ' Well, we almost hang the children up," was the answer. Primary School No. 1.—Situateel at 105 Ludlow Street. One of the most ancient and discreelitable school-buildings in the city. On the ground floor is an unventilated, low, and dingy assembly room, where 280 children, divided into three classes, recite simultaneously. Back of this are small- er rooms, equally objectionable, one having only one win- dow, which window is a poor aj)ology for the same, being obstructed by a staircase. On the story above, the air and arrangements are better, yet so crowded are the rooms that we saw one little girl perched on the stove. " Does that little girl sit on the stove in winter ?" asked the reporter. " Oh, no, then she stands up." Grammer School No. 15.—This is an old building which has been re-modeled at an expense of $70,000, but without any arrangements for ventilation. " Your class-rooms must be very unhealthly," said the reporter to the Principal of the Boy' s Grammer Depart- ment. " Yes," he replied ; " this room was formerly so suffo- cating that I made strenuous efforts to abate the discom- fort. It required six months' complaining to get a window cut through into the assembly room, and this I only suc- ceeded in by shutting a trustée up in a room and desiring him to remain there five minutes. When he came out he promised that the window should be cut, and it was cut." "By this device," say the reporter, "the foul air of the class-room escapes into the gênerai assembly-room, instead of an external outlet. ' ' "In the Primary Department," continues the reporter, ' ' the want of ventilation was still more apparent, and descend- ing to the basement we were shown four class-rooms that are unfit for occupation, owing to the dampness caused by the 97 made-land on which the school is built. It rests on piles. Ye»t two yeum ago the basement x>lay-groune! was oceupiecl by the Primary Department. One foot under ground, low, and unventilated, with Windows so near the floor that when open the air ble>w diree'tly on the children, this cellar was a disgrâce to humanity. One teacher died of consumption contra cted hère, and it is not doubted that many children hâve been borne to early graves as a reward for a regular atterielanee at Grammar School No. 15." Grammar School No. 47.—Tins school is in a good locatiem, and receives a fine class of pujnls. The building nevertheless is représentée! as signally déficient in ail sani- tary requirements. It is furnished with what is called •'e»gress ventilators," which the reporter tliinks. ought to be abolished, as the air within the building is the worst that can be imagined. Hearing many complaints against the school, the remporter asked a teacher what was lier propor- tion of absentées on account of sickness. She answered, • ' Fourteen out of forty, and I am often obliged to excuse girls on account of headache causée! by the bad air of the class-rooms. Our only means of ventilation is by the win- elows, so that in winter it is a choice between catching cold and inhaling poison. The girls generally prefer the poison. Nor can we always obtain jmre air by opening the Windows, as the odors from the out-buildings are sometimes very bad." In addition to the information thus elicited, the rej)ort(»r says, " We ourselves can testify to the abomin- able atmosxniere of the assembly-rooms when filleel with girls. Again, ail the light from thèse rooms proceeds from winelows facing the desks, an arrangement which is fatal to the eyesight of hundreds of girls." CO-OPERATION WITH ARCHITECTS. It is incumbent upon architects to ele»e'ide ail matters pertaining to the ventilation of buildings, and also to décide upon the merits of ail new théories or Systems of ventilation. It se'eins apxDropriate, therefore, that we should address to them thèse passing remarks. They hâve an important mission to fulfill. They hâve even more to do with the health anel lives of people, without seeming to be aware of the fact, 98 than physicians themselves. Physicians are» only called upon to e-ure disease, or te) patch up the human System as well as they know how ; but it should be the» province of architects to prevent disease», which will yet be regarded as a higher branch of professional skill. The old but homely maxim, "An ounce of prévention is worth more than a pound of cure," shoulel not be forgotten. To architects are referred the construction of our dwellings, and so long as imperfect ventilation is one of their charaderistics, health will be impaired and life shortened. Pure air is the granel panacea by which health is to be maintaine»el. The eleqriva- tion of it in our social and industrial relations is one of the greatest evil s of our day and génération, and the evil will not be remedied until the construction of our buildings is modifiée! anel improved. The public will naturally look to architects for the consummation of this important matter, and the requirement is as just as it is natural. If death should ensue as a conséquence of foul air, as it does much more freqimntly than is imagined, why should not the architect be held accountable for the disaster, just as railroad managers should be held accountable for the lives they destroy through the careless or reckless perform- ance of their duties. Although it is now generally conceded that pure air is indispensable to health, the subject of ventilation is almost practie'ally ignored. Money is expended to an almost un- limited extent for costly furniture, anel ail of the élégant things of life, but not a dollar is expended for pure air, which is more important than every thing else, excepting food and clothing. Architects Slow to Co-operate.—We are free to ac- knowledge that architects hâve» been tardy in adoj)ting our System of ventilation. We are not surprised at this. Men are not always disposed to examine into new discoveries or inventions. They are apt to cling pertinaciously to precon- ceived opinions and préjudices. We need not travel far for an example. Take the case of the Abbé Moigno in ivspect to the Stéréoscope. He undertook—so goos the storv__to in- troduce the Stéréoscope into France. He went to Arago anel other distinguished men of science, for a favorables emdorse»- ment. Not succeeding as lie desired, he went to the famous 99 M. Biot. Ilere again he was elisappointed. M. Biot was an enthusiastic defender of a certain theory of light, and would not examine the new instrument through fear that it might contradict the theory in question. Skepticism of Architects.—We are not surprised, however, that architects should be skeptieal with regard to théories or Systems of ventilation. They know that millions of money hâve been expended fruitlessly in this and other countries in expérimental ventilation. They hâve read pondérons volumes upon the subject, abounding in seduc- tive théories and "glittering generalities, " but they hâve dérivée! no benefit from their perusal. They hâve been unable to reduce the» theemes to praetice. Theoretical venti- lation was plausible in the extrême, but practical ventilation proved to be a mystical and unsolved problem. Such lias been the expérience of the âge. Had the numerous volumes on ventilation been of a practical character, buildings would long ago hâve been supplied with pure» air with the same facility that they are now sujipliee! with water, h<»at and light. But instead of this désirable condition of things, we may look almost in vain for a house or building efficiently ventilated. We may find "ventilating flues," sky-lights, trap-doors in the roof, and other xmraphernalia, but we do not ordinarily find pure air. This does not seem to belong to the category of domestic or social comforts. If fresh air gets into a house it is through crevices, or open doors and Windows. It surely does not gain admission through the agency of "ventilating flues," or other similar divices. In the mielst of such difficulties, with so little to convince the juclgment of architects, and still less to stimulate them to practical efforts in the business of ventilation, we do not wonder that many of them shoiilel think lightly of our Sys- tem, or refuse to bestow upon it an investigation. Our First Efforts.—Notwithstanding what we hâve just stated, we hâve made rapid progress in the business of ven- tilation, albeit our initial success was not achieved through the assistance of the architects. Property owners, and others to whom ventilation was indispensable, sought us out, and were willing to test our new System. Thus, we were en- couraged to go forward. Our efforts were of a varied 100 character. We labored for ail seuls of ]>eoph\ and in référence to ail seuls of business. The» pork-packers, among others, aj)T)lied to us for assistance», as they hael heavy interests at stake, anel a heavy amount of capital involved in their business. We enabled them to cure; their pork more efficiently than heretoforo, anel without the inci- dental losses, amounting fréquent 1 y to thousands of dollars, to which they had been subject. The x>rox)i*ie»tors of restau- rants came to us, through their urgent necessitie»s, and w<; introduced fresh air into their salooiis and îvfrigerators, which they greatly aprjreeiated. We hael eqqxn-tunities oc- easionally to ventilate kitchens, parlors, sleeping-roeuns, stables, counting-rooms, and banking-houses, which we always succeeded in doing to the satisfaction of our employ- resent year, which gave great e-emeern to her numerous friends. In conséquence of this illness, Dr. Sims addressed the following letter to the editor of the New York Times, dated October 3, 1869, which will explain itself : The sad news given in yesterday's Times by your correspondent at Malvern in référence to the health of Miss Cushman, will carry sorrow to thousands of her friends hère. It is to quiet ail appréhensions of immédiate danger that I venture to write thèse lines. 10G Miss Cushman called to see me in Paris on the 4th June last. She was in apparently vigorous health ; yet she had for some time a little indurated gland that gave her great mental anxiety, but no physical suffering. I aclvised lier to let it alone, to avoid ail immédiate surgical interférence, to go to Malvern for the season, and to dismiss the subject from her thoughts. It seems that she went to Malvern, but untortunately she bas submitted to extirpation of the gland. Now, what I wish to say is this :— There was no immédiate danger in her disease, and there could be no sort of danger in the opération, per se, for it is one of the easiest and simplest in the whole range of surgery. As she was, on or before the lGth of September, (the date of your correspondent's letter,) lying " at the point of death, quite given up by her friends,-' I am pretty sure that the opération must hâve been followed by ery- sipelas, for from the very nature of the case, it is almost the only accident that could hâve happened. Now, erysipelas is a disease that would by self-limitation bave terminated before this either in convalescence or death. And as we bave received no news by telegram of the latter, the inferenec is clear to my mind that our gifted country woman is now convalescent. Let us then hope for the best till we know the worst. The next public intelligence in relation to Miss Cushman was contained in a paragraph in the Tribune for November 27, which reads as follows : Charlotte Cushman is recovering, and experts shortly to go to Rome. She writes from Edinburgh—" I am, thank God, able to drive out an hour each day in the sun, which feels very grateful to me. Each day, since I bave had per- mission, I am gradually picking up uncler the influence of the air, from which I bave been shut out for eight weeks—and eight weeks of such suffering." What lias this to do with ventilation ? Much ! The Malvern allueled to by Dr. Sims, contains a number of water-cures, into one of which, it is to be presumed, Miss Cushman went for treatment. Be it known, therefore, that water-cures, as well as hospitals, if not ventilated, are sure to become surcharged with foul air. ... In Sep- tember Miss Cushman was at the rjoint of death, and Dr. Sims informs the public that this coule! not hâve been from the surgical opération, in which there was " no sort of danger," but from erysipelas, which he felt sure must hâve followed the opération. If, therefore, Miss Cushman's life was in danger from erysipelas, it is important that the pub- lic, for whose benefit water-cures and hosx>itals are institu- ted, should be informed in référence to the nature or charac- ter of the disease, especially as they are beginning to look a little more closely than heretofore into the rationale of cause and effect. It is known to physicians, though not perhaps to non-medical readers, that erysipelas is a well recognized zymotic disease, which results, as the name imports, from 107 foul a ir, and that it is apt to follow surgical oj)erations in hospitals, and similar xdaces, as a conséquence of the elele- terious action of foul air.* Tins is a fearful considération, inasmuch as the disease occasions intense» sufferino;, and also endangers human life. Miss Cushman, in lier letter e-opied from the Tribune, speaks of the eight weeks of terrible suf- fering which she endurée! ; and if we are to assume that this suffering was attributable to erysix^elas, and that the erysirp- elas resulted from the foul air of the establishment or insti- tution in which she had sought refuge, it is a fact that should never be overlooked or forgotten. It should be burnt into the memory so as never to be effaced. We can not afford to lose valuable lives, nor lives of any ele'scri}^tion, from ignorance or disregard of an unquestionable hygienic law. Miss Cushman tells the work! that after lier eight wee»ks of suffering she was graelually jncking up ilncl<»r the influence of the fresh air, from which she hael been exclu- ded for so long a time. It was only by "x^rmission," how- ever, according to her own statement, that she was enjoying this grand luxury of a benificent Creator. But should there be any embargo upon fresh air ? Is it not a me»elicine, or something better than a medicine, which every suffering invalid should be permitted to breathe without restriction \ We hâve sjioken of cause and effect. L»»t this be faithfully studieel. Let it be understood that foul air, to which so little attention is given, is capable of rapielly destroying the health and prostrating the System, as seems to hâve been the case with Miss Cushman. Before going to Malvern, according to Dr. Sims, she was in "apparemtly vigorous health," and yet, in a brief period, she was brought to the verge of the grave. How long will the; jmklic hâve to wait before water-cures and hospitals are ventilated 'i Is it not a mockery to talk about the cure of disease so long as invalids are» compelled to breathe a foul en* mephitic atmosphère'? Remember what Dr. Willard Parker lias said about the choiera. Upon entering Bellevue Hosriital in the mornings, he could not get along without stepping over eleael bodi<»s. In this extremity, he diree-tenl tents to be put ux> in the open air, and ordered "the poor fellows to take the»ir chances" within thèse tents. Wonderful to tell, every one of the * See Zymotic Diseases, page 51. 108 patients got well. This was a miracle in médical practice. Thus, w<» can not fail to perceivo the différences between/VWe air and foul air. Let us x^rofit by the comparison, and learn wiselom bythe exx>s the system, but its havoc is. sometimes ax^parent for many subséquent years. In this connection we are remindeel of tlie» late» William Pitt Fessexden, Senator from Maine. He died during the X>resent ye»ar. In 18.T7, lie was one of the vmtims of the foui- air épidémie in Washington, belter known as the "Natiemal Hôtel Epide»mie." He ese'aj)(»el with lus life, but itis said that lie ne»vcr wholly reeovered from the x)i'ostrating effects of the illness. Mark Twain on "Smells," The Turkish Bath, Etc.— "Smells" ix Chicago and New York. Mark Twain is a wedl-known eccentric and e-oinical genius, being a second édition of Artemus Ward. Ile has an ode! way of telling homely truths, which imx)ress them- selves ujpon the ymblic mind. He lias written funny books, and is now the eelitor anel publisher of the Buffalo Express, in which we wish him abundant success. He went off in the famous "Meeliterranean Excursion" a few years ago, and lias given the worlcl an amusing ivcord of Lis aelven- tures. What he says upon the subject of "Smells" is worthy of spe»cial study, andwe shall quote it for tlie benefit of those who don't believe in ventilation. Our traveler arrivée! at " Civita Vecchia the Forlorn," as lie e.xpm'sse'S it, on a sweltering day in July, and lteaeleel one of lus unie jue letters, from which we are about to quote, " At Large in Italy." He says, "Tins is the vilest neîst of dirt, vermin, and ignorance we hâve got into yet, exciuit that A tri can x>er- dition they call Tangier, which is just like it. The peoxile hère live in alleys two yards wide. It is lucky the alleys are not wide, because they hold as much smell now as a person can stand ; and, of course, if they were wider, they woule! hold more, and then the people would die. Thèse alleys are paveel with stone, carpeted with slush, elecayee! rags, eleconix>osed vegetabletops, and remnants of old boots, ail soakeel with dish-water, and the people sit a round on stools and enjoy it. They work two or three? hours at a 109 time, but not hard, and then tlmy knock off and catch fleas. This does not require talent, because they hâve only to grab ; if tlmy eletn't get the one the»y are after, they get another. It is ail the same to them. They are not partic- ular." Tnrlcish Bath and Turkish Coffee. — Mark Twain heads another letter with the phrase>s, "A Yankee in the Orient," and "Poetical Humbuggery." This time lie is in Constantinople. He says, " When I think how I hâve been swindled by books of Oriental travel, I Avant a tourist for breakfast. For years and years I hâve» dreamed of the won- elers of the Turkish Bath ; for years and years I hâve x>rom- ised myself that I would yet enjoy one." But the picture, as lie "got it from incendiary books of travel, was a poor, misérable fraud, the reality being no more like it than the Five Points are» like the Garelen of Eden." He was bent upon taking a bath. however, and passed into a great court, "furnished with linge, rickety chairs, cushioned with rusty old maîtresses indented with impressions left by the forms of nine successive générations of men who had reposed upon them. The caelaverous, half-nude varlets that served in the establishment had nothing of poetry in their appearance, nothing of oriental splendor. They shed no entrancing odors—just the contrary." Our aelventurer was soon undressed, and then "an unclean starveling wrapiied a gaudy table-cloth about his loins, and hung a wliite rag over his shoulders." Next in order, they gave- him a x>air of wooden clogs, which he calls ' ' benches in miniature, ' ' and which ' ' dangleel uncomfort- ably by the leather sti-aps when he lifted his feet." But thèse " sensuous influences," and this "oriental luxury," he did the best he coule! to enjoy. The bath proceeeling, our traveler. was ushered into another départaient, in which he was 'l laid on a stuffy sort of pallet." Tins was a solemn place». He now exxuMîted that the siiiced odors of Araby woule! steal over his sensés, but they didn't. A copiier-colored skcleton, with a rag aroune! him, brought a décanter of water, with a lighted te>bacco pirie on the top of it, and a pliant stem a yard long, with a brass mouth-piece to it. Our traveler took one blast at it, which was sufficient. The smoke ail went down his 110 throat. It came back in convulsive snorts through his nose. It hael a vile taste ; and the mouth-xiie'e'e tasteel viler still, as well it might, for it had been in contact with a thousand infielel lips and tongues. The critical portion of the bath was now ushereel in— critical, we may call it, because there was a development of certain "smells," which our traveler tells us had none of the dreamy odors of Araby. He was stretched ux)on a raised platform, and goes on with lus story as follows : "Presently my man sat me down by a tank of hot water, drenchee! me well, gloved his hand with a coarse mitten, and began to polish me ail over with it. I began to S'iinll disagreeably. The more he polished, the worse I smelt. It was alarming. I said to him, ' I perceive that 1 am jretty far gone. It is plain that I ought to be buried without any unnecessary delay. Perhaps you had better go after my friends at once, because the weather is warm, and I can not keep long.' " No attention was paid to thèse entreaties. After a while the man brought a basin, some soap, and something that seemed to be the tail of a horse. He delugeel our unfortu- nate traveler with soap-suds, without warning him to shut his eyes, and then swabbed him viciously with the horse- tail, until he became "a statue of snowy lather." After tins, lie was flooded with "exhausting hot water." In ail this there seemed to be nothing of "oriental voluptuous- ness." After a while the " world-renowned Turkish-coflee, that poets hâve sung of so rapturously, was brought, but this also proved to be a swindle. Of ail the unchristian beverages that ever passed the lips of our traveler, this Turkish coffee he considered the worst. The cup was small and smeared with ground s ; the coffee was black, thick, unsavory of smell, and exécrable in taste. The bottom of the cup had a muddy sédiment in it half an inch thick. Thus ended the celebrated Turkish Bath, and it is apparent that ventilation and fresh air are not appreciated by the Turks any more than the Christians. "Smells in Chicago." — Our American Chicago is more than a match for the Italian Civita Vecchia in the way of smells. Our authority for this is the reporter of the Chicago Tribune, who made a mémorable voyage up the 111 Chicago River, Anno Domini, 1868, and favored the world with the resuit of his observations. He is not inferior to Mark Twain in truthfulness and veracity, and therefore no one need doubt the correctness of his statements. He lias furnished an elaborate Catalogue of 1,607 " well-defined and sex^arate bad smells," which lie détectée! during his remark- able river voyage. Thèse smells, according to lus showing, emanated "from distilleries, dead dogs, the carcasses of cats, tanneries, x>oisoned fish, malt from the breweries, the refuse of slaughter-houses, and contributions from the sewers." The New York Tribune says, "The only wonder exx>erienced by us in reading the above report was that any body should be alive in Chicago at this moment." The Chicago reporter lias nothing to say about the Chicago Court-House, which should not hâve been overlooked. Had lie visited the Comptroller'' s Room before we ventilated it (see page 83), he would hâve been enabled to increase lus list of "well-defined bad smells." "Smells" in New Y'ork City.—It may be regarded as an unsettled question whether Civita Vecchia and Chicago, not to say anything about Mark Twain' s African Tangier, is entitled to the palm of superiority over our goodly city in the score of bad smells and horrible stenches. There are some features of our metropolitan life which bid défiance to rivalship. We allude with great déférence to the bone- boiling establishments, which now seem to be recognized as permanent institutions in our city. They are dealt with by the authorities very tenderly ; and some of our learned and scientific men hâve assumed that the stenches from thèse establishments are not detrimental to the health at ail, but are in reality very agreeable and wholesome odors. It may be that some industrious vender of perfumes will yet collect thèse odors, and sell them by the bottle, in place of Lubin's Extracts. Who knows ? If they are really bénéficiai to the health, our city mortality should be greatly reduced below its présent figures, especially in the upper portions of the city, where the fat-boiling stenches predominate. Without going further into this branch of our subject, we will direct attention very briefly to some of the additional smells and stenches of New York City and Brooklyn. 1L2 Sewer-Gas.—Under this head référence is made by tlie Board of Health, in one of its reports, to the» sewer in We>st Forty-Second Street. This sewer, according to the report, "is above the low-water mark, and during the elaily tidal fluctuations, emits the foulest and deadliest kind of sewer- gas." Crossing the East River to Brooklyn, we will quote from the report of Dr. F. AV. Colton, in relation to the sewer emptying into the East River at the foot of Atlantic Street. He says it discharges into the dock, where the water lies motionless, rendering the place a cess-pool, and impivgnat- ing the air with the most pestilential odors. He describes the effect of thèse exhalations upon the occupants of the Columbia Street stores, and says, "The employées of the Ferry are daily made sick in warm weather by inhaling the vitiated air ; and passengers inhaling a deep breath before they enter the slip, do not breathe again until they hâve» made their escape from the premises." Almost the entire City of New York is sometimes per- vaded by the smell of sewer-gas, which is sulphuretted hyelrogen, and which is highly injurious to the health of the citizens, inasmuch as it is an intense blood poison. (See pages 11, 12 and 13.) Congrégation of Bad Smells. — Hère is a batch of nuisances, with their accompanying odors or stenches, which were abated in a single week, during April, 1866, in anticipation of the choiera. We quote from a report issued by the Board of Health. Such nuisances are constantly to be found in our city : Filthy sinks and water-closets cleansed............................... 605 Loads of night soil removed from city limits........................2,009 Dead horses removed " " ........................ 72 " cows " " " ........................ 4 " goats " " •" ........................ 6 " sheep " " " ........................ 18 " dogs and cats removed " " ........................ 38 " calves("bobs") " " " ........................ H Cow-Stable Odors.— Hère is what the Health Board said of a cow-stable, located at the time in West Forty- Eighth Stree^t: "The stalls are disgustingly filthy, as well as the animais themselves. The manure hall emits a vile odor. The yard is filthy and wet, made so by the manure, 113 urine and water." The milk of such cows as thèse, we may add, is constantly sold to the citizens of New York, and is literally a poison. Crossing again to Brooklyn, we will quote from Dr. S. W. Fisk, who was Inspector of the Fourth Sanitary Dis- trict, in référence to cow-stables. He says that the stables in First Street " are occupied by large numbers of cows of the stump-tail, swill-fed species, and are reeking with filth. The stalls are fearfully overcrowded, and the atmosphère is almost insupportable, no attention being naid to ventila- tion." TENEMENT-HOESE ABOMINATIONS—VENTILATION OF TENEMENT HOUSES. The Sanitary condition of New York tenement-houses is a reproach to our city, although it is claimed that they hâve been somewhat improved within a year or two through the instrumentality of the Board of Health. But they are still over-crowded, and still continue to be the abodes of poverty and misery, filth and rags. If they are better ventilated than heretofore, it is chiefly through open Windows, which are not very efficient in supplying fresh air to the interior of a house, and which can not be used in winter without the risk of chilling or freezing the occupants. We hâve already stated that fresh air should be furnished to the poor, in their houses, even though they are deprived of every other comfort. This could be efficiently done without expending a large sum of money, and we predict that it would be a profitable investment. If the experiment of ventilating tenement-houses should be tried — we mean, of course, thorough and efficient ventilation—it will be found, when the matter is understood, that the rooms are more attractive to the poor, and will command better priées ; and if over- croweling is inévitable, which can not be prevented as long as there are poverty-stricken people seeking a home or a shelter, it may be a consolation to know that twenty indi- viduals may be packed in a small room, during the hours of sleep, and yet hâve an ample supply of fresh air to breathe. Thus, the landlord would be amply remunerated for the expenditure of his money, and the occupants of the house would be vastly benefited by the new order of things. 114 With fresh air taking the plae-e» of mopliitic gase»s and poisons, the over-crowded poor will be» much less liable to sickness ; they will be less exxx>se»el to the» ravageas of the zymotic diseases ; they will not expérience so intense a craving for spirituous liquors ; they will attend to their labors or duties with more zeal and fidelity ; and their gênerai physical condition will be, in many particulars, essentially improved. Thèse are important cemsiderations. The experiment of tenement-house ve»ntilation, therefore, ought to be tried the moment it can be done properly and tfficiently, for we hâve no référence» in thèse remarks to imperfect window ventilation, nor any of the modem shams which pass under the name of ventilation. The efficient ventilation of a single tenement-house would be a more important achievement than a score of lectures o£ written discourses on the value of fresh air without ventilation. Fifty thousand dollars expended by the city in properly ventilating tenement-houses would resuit in a heavy réduc- tion of the poor fax, because it would prevent a large amount of sickness, and enable the tenantry to attenel to their labors or business, and become thereby self-supporting, instead of becoming a public burthen in our alms-houses. The reports of the Board of Health, and other similar documents, for the past two or three years, will suffice to show the wretched condition of our tenement-houses. Some of them may be in a better condition now than when the reports were made, but the aggregate of filth, and misery, and over-crowding, is probably much the same now as at any previous period. The following extracts are from various reports which lie upon our table : A Nest of Foul Places.—We find a notice of thèse in the reports of Benjamin Warden, who was employed by the Board of Health during the choiera season of 1866. . No. 54 Mulberry Street ; a filthy, low den. . . . Cel- lars in Léonard and Baxter Streets ; water coming through the floors, walls mouldy, ceilings ail fallen down. No. 41 Baxter Street, in the rear.; very bad, stinks horribly. . No. 64 Cherry Street ; very filthy, unfit for a dog to live in. . . . No. 103 Cherry Street ; has eight beds in the front basement, ceiling low, not fit for a human habi- tation. 115 Tenement-Houses Described.—In the New York Tri- bune for June 12, 1867, there is an able and interesting article in relation to the tenement-houses of our city by one of the reporters of that journal. Whether he is the author of the graphie report in relation to the Meîtropolitan School- Houses, from which we hâve made extracts, we are unable to say. He lias, at ail events, rendered the xmblic a signal service by exposing some of the metropolitan horrors by which we are surrouneled. Hère are some descrixptive remarks to which we invite the reader' s spécial attention : A Frightful Picture.—Houses such as thèse, fitted only for the most destructive ferments known to médical expérience, become human habitations. The largest number of families the building will hold is the smallest number with which the owner will be satisfied. The question as to how the différent sexes will dispose of themselves, or how they will dispose of their filth, does not concern him in the least. In one of thèse houses so inhabited, privacy is unknown. The meanest offices of life and ail the necessities of nature are unavoidably open to the gaze of both young and old, maie and female alike. The stairways and halls are common to ail occupants of the house, and are always filthy, for the reason that the duty which devolves upon everybody is performed by nobody. The sinks are continuously foul, and the water-closets, which ail use, no one cleans. By-and-by thèse become unfit for use even by the most unclean, and in a short time the cellar is transformed into a cess- pool. The exhalations from this decomposing mass rise into the rooms of the sleepers and mix with an atmosphère already vitiated, and at least partially con- fined, making "the rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril." Every room in thèse houses is the ally of disease, and to many of the houses death is a weekly visitor. . . . Why ail the inhabitants of this class of tenement-houses do not instantly die can only be accounted for upon the hypothesis that there is an occult law at work in an effort to adapt their internai relations to their surroundings. We hâve given above an outline for which hundreds of houses in this city will furnish ample détails. Indeed, there is an entire block of houses in Forty - Second Street, west of Eleventh Avenue, each one of which furnishes ail the requirements of our description, save, perhaps, in height and depth. The buildings of which this block is composée! are four stories high with a cellar under each one. The base of the cellar-floors was found to be an indescribable quagmire of filth, which oozed up between the boards as the visitors passée! through. The ceilings are on a level with the street and scarcely more than six feet high—they can easily be touched by the hand—while the présence of Are- places and closets showed that the rooms had been intended for human habita- tions. The stench was intolérable, and when the floor was raised, became sick- ening. A man who had sounded this mass of liquid filth in one of the cellars told the writer that it was eighteen inches deep. The floors in some of the cel- lars, and in ail of the closets, save those which had been recently cleaned, were defiled by human excrément. The walls were dirty in the extrême, and the stairs boken clown and dilapidated. Each house visitée! presented the same gênerai characteristics, the only différence seeming to be in the amount of filth and the disagreeableness of odors. 110 A Stexcti that Makes one Shudder.—Tlie reporte»r calls attention to another block of houses, one of which was a béer saloon. Some of the walls were damp witli water that had escaped from the sinks and inundated tlie floor overhead. He ascendee! the» stairs of another house lo ex- amine a sink which one of the female tenants said was "horrible." Situate»d in the hall, at the head of the first night of stairs, was found a little dark close»t that contained tlie sink. The guide brought a light to show its internai ar- rangements, but the atmosphère of the close»t Avas so foul that the candie burned with difficulty. The smell was not to be elescribed. Nick Bottom was not half so rmzzled in his effort to describe his elream, says the reporter, as one would be to describe this stench. ' ' It was nauseating, sick- ening, and disgusting to the last degree, and we shudder as we write at the memory of the offence then and there offeivel to our sensé of sight and smell. It was abominable, and when one of the tenants averreel it hael made her sick, the wonder was that she had not died." Miasmatic Scum and Poison.—Leaving the "domes- tic abominations" described above, the reporter proceedeMl to the rear yards, which had become the réceptacle of ail manner of filth and kitchen offal. "Pools of water," lie says, "covered with a green and miasmatic scum, stooel festering in the yarels, exhaling poison, and making the neighborhood a nuisance. The privies were the ultime ThuhJ of offensiveness. They had been used in common by the inhabitants of thèse domiciliary fever-breeders until they had become unusable. Their condition accounteel for the fact that the cellars were little better than cess-pools ; anel the tenant said that pits had been dug in the yards to re- ceive the contents of the privy vaults. The yards and areas to thèse houses, and the houses themselves, from the cellar to the roof, were unmitigably filthy. Every step seem<»el to disclose some new stench, and every glance of the eye discovered some fresh abomination. No words can elo jus- tice to such sights and smells, while the depth of déglacia- tion and moral uncleanness to which such external filth must necessarily lead is a subject for the courts and the missionarv seicieties." 117 Disease Ixevitable.—In référence to the fearful atmos- pheric abominations, which hâve just been described so vividly, the reporter truthfully says, "Disease is inévitable to ail who habitually eat, drink, or breathe putrescence, and death the only resuit that can reasonably be expected when some virulent poison daily and hourly assails the human System. The vitality which resists the attack of to-day, sinks powerless beneath the assaults of to-morrow." Filth and Garbage.—Still another block of houses came under the reporteras notice, of which he speaks as foliows : ' ' The filth and garbage within and about the premises became daily more putrid, decomx^osition more rapid, the stench more profound, and the gênerai condition of the houses more abominable. A corps of men removed at least four cart-loads of putrid filth from four of the cel- lars. A portion of this had to be carried out in buckets on account of its fluidity. During this process, one of the men, overpowered by the stench, became sick, and was compelled to leave the work. As the block consists of nine houses, some concexition may be formée! of the habits of the tenants, the carelessness of the lessee, and the amount of the accu- mulations of refuse matter." Rotten Row.—This is the name of a place in Green- wich Street, above Canal Street. By any other name the reporter thinks it would smell as sweet, but by no other name could it be so well described. The several buildings which come under this désignation swarm with tenantry. Tliere are places in this Row where the fresh air and bright sunlight never come. There was a cellar, for instance, which had neither inlet nor outlet, excepting the door which shut level with the pavement. Within this enclosure a woman was sewing by the dim light, while two children were play- ing about the place. The good woman received the reporter pleasantly, and gave some account of her domestic affairs. When she leaves home to work she shuts the door, locks the youngsters in, and has the satisfaction of knowing that she will find them there when she cornes home. For this misérable habitation the poor woman paid six dollars per month. 118 Présent Aspect of Tenement Houses, September, 1869.—The report of the Board of Health in relation to tene- ment-houses, made September 8, 1869, and published in the Tribune, September 9th, does not indicate any imxn-ovement in thèse houses. The report says : The poor are crowded into small, unlighted, and unventilated rooms, and, with few or no conveniences for cleanliness, domestic filth in its worst forma accumulâtes within and around their homes. Living under such conditions year after year, the tenant-house population créâtes an atmosphère charged with the éléments of the most virulent and destructive diseases. Infantile life is scarcely prolonged through the first year. The decimated générations which arrive at adult years, exhibit the feebleness and décrépitude of âge. It is among this class that ail f orms of contagious disease thrive as in a congenial soil, and from it that they so frequently burst forth and spread through the neighboring commun ities. And every year, whatever may be the gênerai health- fulness of the town, it is in the tenement-house districts that the great balance- sheet of its excessive mortality is made up. In New York City tbe tenement- house System présents its worst f eatures. More than one-half of the total popu- lation live in tenement houses. The great majority of thèse houses are old buildings, reconstructed for the purpose of packing the poor away, on the plan of the largest number in the smallest space. From 80 to 120 people to a super- ficial area of 25x100 feet may be regarded as the rule rather than the exception. The report goes on to say that the worst class of tene- ment-houses, found by the examining committee, were those where a landlord had accommodations for ten families and upward ; and thèse buildings comprise more than half of the tenement-houses of the city, and accommodate fully two-thirds of the entire tenement-house population. The report proceeds as foliows : The little colony exhibit in their rooms and in the areas around their dwell- ings extrême want of care. The street in front of the place was reeking with slops and garbage ; the alleys and passage-ways were foul with excréments ; the court was imperfectly paved, wet, and covered with domestic refuse ; the privies, located in a close court between the rear and front houses, were dilàpi- dated, and gave out volumes of noisome odors which filled the whole area, and were diffused through ail the rooms opening upon it ; and the halls and apart- ments of the wretched occupants were close, unventilated, and unclean. The complaint was universal among the tenants that they are entirely uncared for, and that the only answer to their request to hâve the place put in order by repairs and necessaiy improvements is, that they must pay their rent or leave. Inquiry will disclose the fact that the owner of the property is a wealthy gentle- man or lady, either living in an aristocratie part of the city, or in a neighbor- ing city, or, as was occasionally found to be the case, in Europe. Inspector James makes the annexed report : " During the past three years it has been my duty to pay fréquent visits to tenement-houses Nos. 433 and 435 West Thirty Ninth Street, for the purpose of investigating the complaint of some citizen regarding their sanitary condition, 119 and hâve, without exception, found the premises filthy, almost beyond descrip- tion. Each of thèse houses is a five story building, containing respectively eighteen and twenty families, whose social and moral condition seems to har- monize with the appearance of the houses and their surroundings. The halls, stairways, wall, and ceilings are filthy with dirt and grease ; the cellars receive daily the east off articles of dress and other refuse matter of the various occu- pants of the houses ; the privies are constantly getting out of order, the sewer drain obstructed, the vault filled to overflowing, and the floors and seats of the privy buildings filthy with human excréments to such an extent as to make them unfit for use, rendering it necessary for the tenants to bring out their excréments in vessels, to be deposited in the privy vault, by which means the structures become daily more filthy ; the yards are often filthy with garbage and night-soil, the hydrant drain frequently obstructed, and the hydrant sink overflowing with filthy water." THE PEABODY TENEMENT-HOUSES IN LONDON. In contrast with the misérable and filthy New York tene- ment-houses, we turn with pleasure to a brief contemplation of those established in London through the munificence of Mr. George Peabody, whose death, while we are writing, is announced by the cable telegraph. The premises at Isling- ton, as described in a letter from London, consist of four blocks of buildings, comprising in ail 155 tenements, accom- modating 650 persons, or nearly 200 families. The whole cost of thèse buildings, exclusive of the sum paid for the land, amounted to £31,690. The principle and organization in each of thèse extensive structures is the same. Drainage and ventilation hâve been insured with the utmost possible care, the instant removal of dust and refuse is effected by means of shafts which descend from every corridor to cellars in the basement, whence it is carted away ; the passages are ail kept clean, and lighted with gas, without any cost to the tenants ; water from cisterns in the roof is distributed by pipes into every tenement, and there are baths free for ail who désire to use them. Laundries, with wringing-ma- chines and drying-lofts, are at the service of every inmate, who is thus relieved from the inconvenience of damp vapors in their apartments, and the conséquent damage to their furniture and bedding. Every living-room or kitchen is abundantly provided with cupboards, shelving, and other conveniences, and each fireplace includes a boiler and an oven. But what gratifies the tenants, perhaps, more than any other- part of the arrangements, are the ample and airy spaces which serve as playgrounds for their children, where 120 they are always under their mothers' eyes and safe from the risk of passing carriages and laden carts. SLEEPY CONGREGATIONS—SERMON OX THE MOUNT—ST. PAUL —REV. ROBERT COLLYER—WESLEY AND WIIITEFIELD— BY MORRIS MATTSON, M. D. With regard to sleeping in church, it seems to be a ques- tion whether it is an asphyxia, or a mère somnolent condi- tion resulting from dull and tedious sermons. We are a convert to the doctrine of asphyxia, not knowing why the excess of carbonic aciel and other poisons, which accumu- late in churches devoid of ventilation, should not put peo- ple to slee»x) as effectually as the carbonic aeld from a char- coal furnace in a close room. The only w^onder is, that any body can keep awake in a crowded and unventilated church. We are sure, therefore, that this tendency to sleep is not to be attributeel to dull sermons. With fresh air to breathe ; during church services, it would be almost as imxiossible to go to sleep as it would be in walking by the sea-side or upon the mountain top. We hâve made thèse remarks with the view of quoting what the Rev. Robert Collyer says upon the subject of sleepy congrégations, as lie ought to be con- sidered gooel authority. He is charitable in his views, and expresses himself as follows : "This may be one of those things in which nobody is to blâme, except as we are to blâme for any other sickness. The preacher lias written too many sermons, and the people hâve heard too many for ten months past. They want a vacation ail round." He then quotes Dean Ramsey as telling a story of an old Scotch minister who one Sunday saw his whole congrégation asleep, except an idiot in the gallery. He stopped, and his people ail woke up, and then he cried, "Are you not ashamed to be asleep as I preach the Word, while that poor idiot is broad awake ?" "Deed, minister,'' the fool replied, "if I had na been an idiot I wad 'a been asleep too." A good excuse for what may be considered a bad habit is well enough now and then ; at ail events it shows a bene- volent spirit on the part of the révérend and distinguished gentleman from whom we hâve quoted. Nevertheless, it would be better to strike at the root of the evil, anel insist upon churches being ventilated. The history of relio-ion 121 proves that it thrives the best in pure air, as we shall show presently. An eminent clergyman lias said that it is a sin to be sick, and if this be true, it is a sin to visit some of our fashionable churches, for by so doing one is almost sure to coïitract a heaelache, or some other corporeal affliction, such as usually ensues from breathing a iioisoiious or unwholesome atmosphère Foul air is the very antipodes of religion. It deadens the faculties of the mind, and weakens the devo- tional feelings The human brain is a species of galvanic battery, which works the best when stimulated by pure air. It works sluggishly in foul air. Mental as well as physical power may be measured by the purity of the air we breathe. The spiritual power of the Apostles was no doubt intensified by their out-of-door life and preaching. Had they xoreached exclusively in the synagogues — assuming that the syna- gogues were no better ventilated than our modem churches— they woule! hâve had fewer prosélytes. . . . Leaving the Apostolic Age», and coming down to the seventeenth century, we find John Wesley and George Whitefield, in imitation of the Axiostles, preaching in the open air, and exercising a potent influence upon the xmblic mind. They performeel herculean labors, as men usually do who work in the ox)en air and bright sunshine. Mr. Wesley, not waiting for churches to be built, preached to out-of-door audiences wherever lie could find them, and by this x>raetic<» his health was promoted and his life prolonged. He lived to be eighty- eight years old, notwithstanding a somewhat délicate con- stitution. Mr. Whitefield, at one time the co-laborer of Wesley, also devoted himself to open-air preaching. In England, Wales, and Scotland, according to his biographer, he preached to immense crowels, anel always in the open air. He has stated in some personal memoranda, that during a period of thirty-four years of his ministry, lie preached upwards of 18,000 sermons, crossed the Atlantic'seven times, and traveled thousands of miles both in Britain and America. When his strength began to fail, he put himself on what he termed "short allowance," preaching but once daily during the week, and three times on the Sabbath. He ultimately gave up his labors in the open air for the pulpit of a non-ventilated church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he caught cold and died. Had he confined himself 122 to ox^en-air preaching, his life would no doubt hâve been rirolonged. We learn from those retrospections that ire»sh air is the very handmaid of religion. If we were see»king to bring about a great religious revival, we would begin by ventila- ting the churches. Fresh air is essential to health and physical power, and, without thèse, the manifestation of spiritual power will be more or less déficient. If we compel a Minister of the Gospel to preach in an unventilateel ediurch, and, withal, oblige him to live and sleep in an unventilated house, it will not be easy for him to escape some form of invalidism, unless he should hâve the xdiysical System of a Martin Luther. Thus, his power of doing good, or of mak- ing a religious impression upon the minds of his hearers, will be greatly diminished. The open-air preaching of the Apostles, and of John Wesley and George Whitefield, remind us of the sermon on the Mount, which was also delivered in the open air—the pure mountain air—and it was the best sermon ever preached. We venture to say that not one of the great multitude of people coming from Gallilee, and Jérusalem, and Judea, who listened to that sermon, fell asleep, or was even troubled with drowsiness. Not so however with the preaching of St. Paul in the close, unventilated loft, described in the Acts of the Apostles. That the place was unventilated, we take for granted. The scriptural version is this : "And there sat in a window a certain young man, being fallen into a deep sleep : and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead." He was not dead, however. St. Paul said, "Trouble not yourselves, for the life is still in him." The young man was afterward restored to life, and it is to be presumed that he only fainted or swooned, or, to use a modem word, was asphixiated, as people are daily asphixiated in our churches, and other crowded places. But, says a critical person, the young man was seated in a window, and could not hâve been put to sleep by the foul air. Nay, just the reverse of this. When a window, connected with a warm, unventilateel room, is open, two currents of air may be observed, one, which is the cooler, passing in at the bottom, and the other, which is warmer, passing out at the top. We infer that the window 123 was low, and that the young man was exposed to the upper current. This being the case, lie was compelled to breathe the foul air of the loft in its most concentrated form. He was in more danger of being asphixiated in this outward current than the people within the enclosure, where the poison of the atmosphère was less intense. St. Paul had, no doubt, often observed such cases. Saying, as he did, that the life still remained in the young man, it is to be inferred that lie had often seen his followers go to sleex> in a similar way, when lie was obliged to preach in close places, devoid of ventilation. The Apostles, therefore, when preach- ing within doors, had the same difficulties to encounter in respect to vitiated atmosphères that clergymen hâve to encounter at the présent day. But the Apostles were exems- able, because science, at that remote period, had made but little progress, and the discovery of oxygen and'carbonic acid had not been made. We can offer no such plea at présent. We are no longer excusable on the ground of ignorance. We boast of our scientific knowledge ; we know ail about the composition of the air—ail about oxygen and carbonic acid ; and we teach chemistry, x^hysiology, and other sciences to the boys and girls in our common schools, having much to say in référence to the imx^ortance of pure air, but not allowing the purjils to hâve any pure air to breathe. Our science, therefore, is like a crab—it goes back- ward instead of forward. If the word asphyxia is not plain to the common reader, we will save him the trouble of hunting up his dictionary. It signifies an interruption of the breathing process. There are several varieties of it, one of which is termed asphyxia mephitica, indicating that condition which results from breathing choke-damp. This phrase, in its turn, may need an explanation. The miners call any irrespirable gas or vapor, "choke-damp." Carbonic acid gas, in particular, cornes within this définition. We hâve plenty of choke- damp in our churches and other public places. Speaking of the x^oisonous effect of the outward current of air which asphixiated the young man mentioned by St. Paul, it is well to remember that it is always dangerous to breathe any heated current of air which has been poisoned by the human breath. A melancholy case of the kind is 124 recalle»e! to our nmmory. We refer to an estimable lad y who elieel suddeaily from the noxious air of a crowded church. S t rangers had occupied her pew in the body of the church, anel not wishing to disturb them she maele» her way te) a front seat in the gallery, elirectly over a gas-jet. The heat of this jet established an ux>moving curivnt of air, which came directly into her face», bringing with it the ceaicentrated miasms and poisons of the church-atmosphere. This x)oisem was too potent for the unfortunate lady. She went home complaining of illness. A eloctor was called. Ilis treat- ment seemed to be of no avail. She rarndly failed in strength. The physician was unable to give any name to her elisease, for her symptoms were strange and anomalous. Death, however, soon made sure of its victim, and she passed from time to eternity. A valuable life was hère lost, which was a loss to society as well as to the family eircle ; and it is not too much to say, that while the Church is se»ek- ing to save» the soûls of men and women, it should be care- ful not to destroy their boelies. Persons of a délicate organization, or those who are easily disturbed by external influences, are the most likely to suffer from the noxious air of a church, or other crowded place, and should therefore be extremely careful how they expose themselves to this source of danger. ARM-CHAIR GLEANINGS AND JOTTINGS. Under this title, with scissors and paste within our reach, we riropose to exercise a sort of editorial function, and to weave into our editorial web many fragments which are too valuable to be lost. In our web, therefore, each of thèse fragments will hâve a conspicuous place and a conspicuous heading, standing out in bold relief, analagous to the figures of an embroidered garment. Since the publication of the first eelition of our book on ventilation in 1866, the subject seems to hâve excitée! very great attention. It is not un- usual now to find articles upon ventilation in the newspa- pers and magazines, with discussions in référence to the dangerous effects of foul air in our schools, dwellings, and varions public places. Editors, judges, clergymen, and literary celebrities hâve been Toarticipating in the eliscus- sion with an earnestness which shows how deeply they are 125 interested in the thème. Those " driftings of the public mind" hâve not been overlooked in our arm-chair gleanings, anel we take xneasure in presenting them to the notice and con- sidération of our readers. Tue Air we Breathe—Horrible Facts.—We» clip the foliowing from a newspaper whose title we are unable to give, but we hâve» noticed similar articles in the scientific and médical journals, and hâve no doubt of the truth and accu- racy of the facts x^resented : '• A scientific Parisian has had the curiosity to make an analysis of the air that is breathed in a théâtre, or any close audience-room that contains a great number of persons, with the following horrible results : He carried into a théâtre at ten o "clock at night a bottle of ice placed on a plate, and then col- lectée! the vapor which rapidly condensed on the outside of the bottle and flowed down on to the plate. At first, the vapor thus collectée! had the smell, the taste, and, so far as could be determined, eveiy chemical quality belonging to the waters of the most deadly fever marshes Under the microscope, this water was at first clear, but soon, that is to say in a week, it was found to be full of fine animalculae. A little later on, thèse animalculas had grown, and the big ones were seen pursuing and devouring the little ones. Still later on, at the end of two months, the water was thick with animalcule, various forms were seen, and still the work of destruction was going on. At last, but three hideous mon- sters were seen—microscopic monsters, of course, since they were contained in a drop of water—and thèse were still fighting to see which could devour the other. At the end of three months, the water became transparent." A Fatal Warning.—The annexed article is from the New York Tribune of May 11, 1867, and may there»fore be considérée! authentic. The article should be carefully read and deexoly rjondered, as it is one of the many proofs of the danger we are in from foul air, without seeming to be con- scious of the fact : ' ' The Moravian Seminary at Bethlebem, Pa., has long been widely popular as a high school for young ladies. Its trustées and principal are probably as com- pétent and f aithf ul as those of almost any similar academy. Yet it seems that they bave but one bedroom, twenty-five by twelve feet, for their eight servant-girls, and that this room, on the basement floor adjoining the kitchen, had but a single window and a door ; and that, thèse being closed, (as, of course, they usually were while the girls slept,) there was absolutely no ventilation and no admission of fresh air! True, there was a single flue, which led from this room up into the pupils' dining-room overhead ; but this flue was generally shut up, or only opened through a stove-pipe which led into the chimney. The stove being taken down on the return of spring, the pipe was allowed to remain, and down this pipe the gas from the stove above was regularly driven, filling the giris' bedroom with its poisonous fumes, until, on Sunday night last, it killed two of them outright and probably will kill one more. Of the remainder, two were badly and two more but slightly injured. The eighth did not retire till toward morn- ing, when she discovered the mischief, though she did not comprehend it till daylight. 126 " Of course, this is not murder, but ignorance—gross, shamoful, guilty ignorance. No person bas any right to undertake the most responsible charge of a seminary who does not know that a close bedroom is perilous to the health and life of even one human being, and more than eight times as perilous when its inmates are increased lo eight. H;ul the managers of the Moravian Seminary known what it was their duty to know, and had they nevertheless packed thèse eight girls into one unventilateel room, they would bave been murderers of the darkest dye. Their ignorance palliâtes, but does not excuse, their wrongdoing. What will palliate the crime of the next set of wholesale homicides by means of unventilated bedrooms, or class-rooms, or halls for public meetings ?" "Popular Sufeocation."—The New York World of récent date, under the foregoing significant cajption, has a scathing article in relation to the pestiferous atmospher<»s to be found in our théâtres and public plae-es of resort. The editor applies his caustic without stint or mercy, and we trust that his editorial surgery will be followeel by good results Violent diseases, the doctors say, require violent remédies. From the report of Dr. R. C. Stiles to the Board of Health, we learn that the inmates of our théâtres breathe a vitiated atmosphère, in which the propor- tion of carbonic acid gas ranges as high as seven parts in a thousand, which, when we consieler that two parts in a thousand is the limit of healthful endur- ance, is not apt to stimulate agreeable reflections in th^ minds of the valetudin arians who elesire to patronize thèse places. What witlhthe respiration of hun- dreds of people, anel the combustion of hundreds of g^3?jets—any one of which latter, Dr. Stiles pleasantly informs us, consumes as much oxygen as five per- sons—the interior of our places of récréation are converted into houses of popu- lar suffocation. Dr. Stiles, it must be understood, made his tests only in the larger and more fashionable resorts, where many expédients hâve been employed to obtain pure air. What his report would be like were he to visit some of the no less popular but less fashionable resorts, it would be difficult to say. There are several places on Broadway, and one or two on the Bowery, where the crowded audiences f ester night after night in their own exhalations ; where the miasms are dense enough to dim the lights in the upper parts of the house, and the foul and eleaelly atmosphère is breathed over and over by swel- tering people, while its humidity condenses on the dirty walls, and trickles like a death-sweat ail round the poisonous auditorium. If the gutters and courts of the lower wards need chloride of lime occasionally, surely thèse pestiferous places need ventilation. "The House We Live In."—This phrase originated with the late Dr. William Alcott, and was the title of one of his excellent books on Health. The "House We Live In" he described as our x^hysical organization, e»onsisting of bones, muscles, nerves, etc. This is important, anel should receive due attention ; but it is equally imx>ortant to keex>m view the house or dwelling in which the physical body is lodged or accommodated. It is hère that we are born, hère 127 that we live, hère that we die, but unfortunately we often die x>i'ematurely. This brings us to the study of ventilation, for foul air is more frequently the cause of prématuré deaths than anything else. If the reader should be in doubt on this subject, let him refer to our chapter on Zymotic Dis- eases, x>age 51. He will there see that half of the deaths in New York City and Brooklyn, during the hot summer months, are caused by the zymotic or foui-air diseases. This is frightful, and should cause the people to wake up to a true sensé of their danger. An indivielual may inhale enough of atmospheric poison in a single hour to bring on a tedious sickness, or x^rhaps destroy life. The abiding place of the physical body, therefore, should ree'eive careful attention. The merchant in his counting-room, the clergy- man in his stuely, the lawyer in his office, the artist in his studio, the mechanic in his workshop, the housewife in her parlor or kitchen, and above ail, children and young people in their schools or seminaries, should each and ail be abun- dantly suxDpliee! with pure air during the busy hours of the day. This will improve the health and x>hysical condition, and increase the activity of the mental powers. Labors which are heavy or oppressive, will become comparatively light and easy. The burdens of life, which are scarcely thought of while the System is in its ordinary health fui and elastic condition, become a camel' s load under the depressing influence of foul air. . . . Passing from the busy day to the quiet and solitary night, we should be especially careful to hâve a pure air to breathe while we are asleep, for it is then that Nature seeks to build up and restore the exhausted System. If we fail in this, we are likely to get up in the morning with a feeling of languor or we»ariness, having no relish for food, and no inclination to ent<»r u}>on the duties or responsibilities of the day. The remedy for ail this is pure air, which can be only obtained through efficient ventilation. Obey the scriptural injunction, " Set thy house in order." If man is to be eaten by worms, as Kate Field says in her Adirondack story of the deer-shooting, there is no good reason why he should become a feast for worms in advance of his time. Benjamin Franklin — Every Crevice Closed — Weathee-Strips.—Tins distinguished philosopher, who 128 had so keen an insight into the physical forces of nature and the physical things of life, said, nenvly a century ago, "Some» are as much afraid of fresh air as persons with hydrophobia are of fresh water. I myself hael formerly this préjudice—this œrophobia, as I now account it—and dreading the supposed dangerous effects of e-ool air, I con- sidered it an enemy, and closed, with extrême» can», every crevice in the rooms I inhabited. Expérience has convinced me of my error. I now look upon fresh air as a friend ; I even sleep with an open window. I am x^ersuadeel that no common air from without is so unwholesome as the air within a close room that lias been often breathed and not changed. . . . Physicians hâve of late happily dis- covered, after a contrary opinion for some âges that fresh and cool air does good to persons with small-pox, and varions fevers. It is to be hoped that in another century or two, we shall ail find out that it is not bad even for peox>le in health." With regard to draughts of air, of which people seem to be so much afraid, it may be stated that such draughts are chiefly injurious when they strike irpon the back of the neck ; they do not seem to be injurious when they come directly into the face. Thèse suggestions of Franklin, in relation to draughts of air, and the dangerous habit of e'iosing every crevice» in one' s apartments, must be prejudicial to the Weather-Strip business. A friend at our elbow thinks that weather-strips are the nails of our préma- turé coffins. Filthy Cellars in First-class Houses. — It is not only in tenement-houses that we hâve filthy cedlars and apartments, but also in our "brown-stone fronts," claim- ing to be first-class houses. During the mémorable sum- mer of 1866, the well-known Dr. Dalton reported to the Board of Health that in many of the best private houses in our city the cellars were surcharged with rubbish of various sorts, which rendered them detrimental to the health of the résidents, as well as to the entire neighborhood in which they were located. He urged whitewashing as a disinfect- ing and cleansing process. If our rich people would give a little more attention than they do to whitewashing anel venti- lation, they would hâve less sickness and fewer prématuré deaths in their élégant houses than at x>resent. 129 Dr. Willard Parker and the Choléra.— It would seem, so far as the fatality of choiera is concerned, that it makes a great differene'e whether the individual suffering with it is shut up in a house, or is out of doors, exposed to the open air. Dr. Parker lias given us some valuable informa- tion on this point. Addressing himself to the Board of Health, during the summer of 1866, lie said, "Ship fever and choiera are very similar in their mode of proxpagation. I remember when Bellevue Hospital was croweled with this disease. The beds were full, the floors were covereel, and when we went into the building in the morning, we could not get along without stex:>x>ing over dead bodies. When we coule! do nothing elser we concluded to put up some tents in the open air, and let the poor fellows take their chances tliere. Every one of them recovered. In another instance, a ship drifted ashore in the North River, with eighty-four cases on board. They were taken out upon the bank, and they recovered." Can we hâve any better évidence than this of the viru- lence of stagnant air as it frequently exists in unventilated houses \ And yet it is only hère and there that we find an individual who deems it important to hâve his house or place of business ventilated. Poisoxed Aie.—Dr. Lemuel Dickinson, of Colchester, Connecticut, who died in 1868, attributed his sickness to breathing the poisoned air of a dissecting-room. He said lie felt the foul air penetrate to his lungs, and this peculiar sen- sation he could never remove. The Philadelphia Ledger is authority for the above statement. Air of Hospitals.—Mr. Lund, of Manchester, in a paper read before the British Médical Association, and rej^prted in the London Lancet of August 15, 1868, detailed some experiments which he had made on the air in one of the surgical wards of the Manchester Royal Infirmary. The ward in which the experiments were conducted contained four beds, and had a cubical capacity of about 5,400 feet, A fluid Wnce of distilled water was placed in a pint stop- pered glass bottle, and by removing the stopper, raising the bottle sharply through the air, replosing and quickly shaking it, the water and the air were intimately mixed ; and this i:jo ju-ocess wasrepeatodinall fully five hundred time»s, until tin» water, x>re»viously transrnirent, had become slightly ojndes- cent. In the deposit thus thrown down, after forty-eight hours, distinct évidence of the prese»nce of organic life was percex»tible under the microscope, and on the fifth day there were numerous actively moving vortice»lli, with abundance of monads in ceaseless motion. Thus, it was inferred that the présence in the air of microscopic organic germs was a constant condition easily détectable. If thèse microscopic germs are peculiar to the atmos- jihere of hosyri tais,. the sooner hospitals are ventilated the better it will be for the patients and other inmates Thèse germs, according to médical authority, may hâve much to do in xiroducing hospital gangrené, erysipelas, and kindred diseases. The Black-Hole of Calcutta.—This historié Black- Hole is now frequently spoken of in connection with venti- lation. Its exact whereabouts lias not been distinctly settled, but the place itself is described as being something less than twenty feet square. Within this enclosure, on a night in June, 1756, one hundred and forty-six men were confined, and only twenty-three of them came out alive on the follow- ing morning. The old fort of Calcutta lias been pulled down, and it is stated that Dr. Norman Chevers, a writer on sanitary matters, had lus attention drawn to a room or enclosure which is described as "the exact counteipart of the Black-Hole." Irish Steamer Londonderry.—This steamer is closely akin to the Black-Hole. On the night of December 1, 1848, it was threatened by a storm. The captain drove one hundred and fifty of the deck passengers into a small cabin, and closed the hatches ux^on them. In the morning, seventy of thèse were found suffocated. What Humboldt Says.— "Could the atmosphère we breathe, even in our dwellings, be rendered pure anel health- ful, how much more of life could we enjoy, and how much more could be accomplishee! that we undertake Our xolans would not be so often interrupted by disease, nor would the work commenced by us be left undone in conséquence of prématuré death." 131 Air from a Great Height.—The crotchet in ventila- tion of taking air from a grçat height seems to be losing its advocates. In ventilating the House of Commons, which required 2,500,000 cubic feet of air per hour, the original plan of getting the supply of air from the clock-tower was given up, because it was found that the atmosphère of Lon- don, at that altitude, was not as pure as that nearer the earth. The supply is now drawn from the Star Court and the Commons Court. So far as the e-arbonic acid of the atmosphère is concerned, we do not get rid of it by ascend- ing to a great height, as proved by the authority of De Saussure, and other distinguished observers. (See page 58.) Susan B. Anthony.—Tins noted lady has some sensible ideas in relation to pure air, whatever may be said of her political teachings. In the Révolution, of which she is the editress, she calls Superintendent Randall's attention to the impurity of the air of our public schools, and says that if the Board of Education hael to trundle ail the air consumed in our schools in wheelbarrows from a distance, there would be some excuse for their négligence in iiroviding pure air. Tue Worst Poisox !—Where Does it Come From % —This question is answereel by the New York Times in the following caustic but sensible remarks : People are just now talking of précautions against poison. The worst poi- son does not come from the druggists. It cornes from our modes of ventila- tion, or rather of non-ventilation ; and our practice in this respect is a satire on our pretensions to science. Our city reading-rooms and libraries are almost ail badly ventilated. In summer the side-windows of the apartments are opened, and the tliorough-draught, which, at times, is strong enough to flutter the leaves of the books, " fills one s bones with aitches " and shortens the lives of literary invalids. In winter the burnt-out heavy air of stoves, or other heaters, is equally murderous ; for then doors and Windows are shut, and none but the youngest and most robust can pass an hour in such atmosphères without asphyxia, or something very near it. Tis clreadful to see and feel such things in the very seats of intellect and science. Poison ! Our deadliest poison goes into the lungs and not into the stomach. Thaddeus Stevens.—Great men as well as little men die for the want of pure air. Mr. Stevens, mentioned above, was a distinguished lawyer, legislator, and state>sman, with a vast and comprehensive intellect ; but with ail of his éru- dition and stores of knowledge, lie seems not to hâve learned that pure air was one of thé grand requisites of health. He was specially the victim of foul air. While in Washington, 132 his time was divided b<»twe»<>n the Capitol anel lus private résidence. The' Capitol is proverbial for its foul air, while his resielence, in which he sought to "ren<»w his stivngth," was a small, dilapidated building, in which fivsh air could not hâve been an abundant commodity. Hère is a déser- tion, by a "Washington letter-writer, of the house? in which Mr. Stevens live»el anel died ; and we are not sure but that it might prove an acceptable contribution to our lite»rature, so far as architecture is concerned, if we e-ould hâve a full descrijytion of the houses in which ail of our eminent nmn hâve lived and elied : I found Mr. Stevens in a small, shabby, low-roofed room of a small, dilapi- dated brick I?ouse in a not very pleasant-looking and certainly an unfrequentecl street. He had evidently chosen it for convenience rather than comfort or style. A very plain, low-posted bedstead, a small wardrobe and bureau, a desk and an easy-chair formed the furniture of the room. The décorations consistée! only of pbotographs of Mr. Lincoln and himself, and one of Miss Vinnie Rcam's busts, but whether of Mr. Lincoln or himself I can not now remember. Mr. Stevens was lying on the bed, his head tied up in a red handkerchief, and his feet in a pair of plain slippers ; he was minus coat and vest. So nearly complète was bis dishabillc that he alluded to it on my entry, and said he was compelled to rest ail he could, and that when not at the Capitol he was seeking renewed strengtb in repose. It was not sleep he wanted, only rest for his bones in a reclining attitude, and he was ready and able to talk as long as he had inter- ested hearers. The World Moves.—Hère is a paragraiih from the Tribune of November 30, which may be read with profit by school-committees, and ail others who hâve anything to do with the management of public buildings : We are extremely glad that the Board of Controllers in Philadelphia hâve determined to raise the salaries of school teachers ; but one of the reasons assigned in the report of: the committee—that " teachers are required to spend six hours perday in an injurious atmosphère "—strikes us as rather melancholy. Is the increase of salary intended benevolently to render it easier for the teacher to discharge doctors bills ? That would be only just ; but it would follow, as a logical necessity, that the public should also defray ail the médical expenses of pupils poisoned or thrown into an asphyxia, or committed to the tender mercies of typhoid, bythe confinement of "six hours per day in an injurious atmos- phère." As the Philadelphia Controllers are in a libéral mood, why not make a moderate appropriation for ventilators ? Sleep.— Harper"s Weekly is always full of good things. In addition to its illustrations, it contains much valuable reading matter. Below, for example, is an article on "Sleep," which we commend to the reader on account of the remark that the body is more accessible to deleterious 133 influenee at night than by day, and that the air, therefore, ought to be fresh, and the supxdy plentiful. We may add, that with pure air to breathe during the night, the chances of disease would be very slight. If people could only be impressed with tins fact, they would not be long in having their sleexnng-rooms ventilateel : Sleep, which is a kind of anticipation of death, is in lifetime a death which restores vitality. It procures the happiness of being born again every day. The better the sleep, the greater the probability of longevity. Night ought to be consecrated to sleep. This is a law of nature which can not be infringed with impunity. Nothing is more prejudicial to longevity than devoting the nights to intellectual or bodily labors. Many literary men, learned men, and artists, hâve died young in conséquence of this practice. On the other hand, early rising, after being refreshed by sleep, is as bénéficiai as late work is the reverse. The amount of sleep necessary for reinvigoration dépends upon the âge, habits, and constitution of the individual. A new-born infant would perish if kept awake for twenty four hours. Sleep is even more necessary after mental than after bodily labor. A man who thinks little is always in a kind of torpor. Old âge, again, requires less sleep than youth and adult âge. As the body is more accessible to deleterious influences at night than by day, the air ought also to be fresh, and the supply plentiful. The stomach should not be loaded. The bed should not be too soft, and, if possible, the head should lie to the north, the feet to the south. The head should never be covered by the clothes ; but there should be more outer clothing at night than in the daytime, the température of the body not being so high. It is a good thing, on taking off one's day clothes, to lay aside also ail thoughts of the past. It is only thus that complète relaxa- tion of the mind, as well as of the body, is secured, and without this unbending of the mental faculties perfect sleep is impossible. Horace Greeley on Farm Life, Fresh Air, etc.— Ail Christendom is well advised that Horace Greeley is the leading editor and master-spirit of the New York Tribune. There is an article by him in the Tribune of October 9th, 1868, entitled "Greeley's Recollections of a Busy Life." In this he speaks of lus préférence for an agricultural life, with its pure air anel renovating sunshine ; of the death of four of his children, who would not hâve died, he thinks, if they had been born and reared in the country ; of the choice of his wife in the sélection of a farm ; and of the love which he has for the forest, where he can wield the ax unmolested, which, he says, is lus doctor as well as delight. Weappend the article, somewhat abbreviated, as itis closely akin to the subject of ventilation : I am content with my lot, and grateful for the generosity wherewith my labors hâve been rewarded ; and yet I say that were I now to begin my life anew, I would choose to earn my bread by cultivating the soil. Blessed is he whose day's exertion ends with the evening twilight, and who can sleep 134 unbrokenly and without anxiety till the dawn awakes him, with énergies renewed and sensés brightened by fresh activity, and that fullness of health and vigor which are vouchsafed to those only who spend most of their waking hours in the free, pure air and renovating sunshine of the open country. I would hâve been a farmer had any science of farming been known to those among whom my earlier boyhood was passeel. ... 1 can not remember that I had ever seen a periodical devoted to farming, up to the day wherein, in my sixteenth year, I abandoned the farm for the printery. A book which treated of Agriculture, or seeking to set f orth the rationale of its processes, the natural laws on which they are based, I certainly had not seen. Nay, more ; during the ten or twelve years in which I attended school, more or less, I never saw a treatise on Chemistry, Geology, or Botany, in a school-room. I hardly saw one anywhere. That true Agriculture is a grand, ennobling science, based on other sciences, and its pursuit a libéral, elevating profession, was not even hinted, much less inculcated in any essay, speech, sermon, book, pamphlet, or periodical, so far as I then knew. Farming, as understood and practiced by those among whom I grew up, was a work for oxen ; and for me the life of an ox had no charms. Most of those I knew seemed to till the earth mainly because they could not help it ; and I felt that i" could help it. So I shook from my brogans the dust of tbe potato-patch, and stepped out in quest of employment better suited to an intelligent, moral being. It was a quartcr of a century after this before I felt able to buy or make the farm whereon to abide the coming of decay and death. I had been some twenty years a résident of the city, and fifteen the head of a household. Six children had been born to me, and four of them had dieel—as I am confident some of them would not so prematurely bave done, had they been born and reared in the country. I had earned and bought a small but satisfactory house in the very heart of the city ; but who, if he has any choice, prefers to grow old and die at No. 23f), unknown to and uncared for by the denizens of Nos. 237 and 241 ? For my family's sake, if not for my own, a country home was required, so I looked about and found one. The choice was substantially directed by my wife, who said she insisted upon but three requisites. 1. A peerless spring of pure, soft, living water. 2. A cascade or brawling brook. 3. Woods largely composed of evergreens. Thèse may seem light matters, yet I was some time in finding them grouped on the same small plat, within reasonable distance from the city. I did find them, however, and those who object to my taste in choosing for my home a rocky, wooded, hillside, sloping to the north of west, with a bog at its foot, can not judge me fairly unless they consider the ;>.bove requirements. The woods are my spécial department. Whenever I can save a Saturday for the farm, I try to give a good part of it to my patch of f orest. The ax is the healthiest instrument that man ever handled, and is especially so for habit- uai writers, and other sedentary wcrkers, whose sboulelers it throws back, expanding their chests and opening their lungs. If every youth and man, from fifteen to fifty years old, could wield an ax two hours per day, dyspepsia would vanish from the earth, and rheumatism become decidedly scarce. I am a poor chopper ; yet the ax is my doctor and delight. Its use gives the mind just enough occupation to prevent it falling into rêverie or absorbing trains of thought, while every muscle in the body receives sufficient yet not exhaustin." exercise. I wish ail our boys would learn to love the ax. 135 Going to Sleep in Church—Rev. Théodore Cuyler. —The Brooklyn Union for April 1, 1867, in a wide-awake article upon the subject of church-ventilation, délibérâtely places before its readers the following revolutionary state- ments and oxiinions : Yesterday morning the Rev. Théodore Cuyler delivered a sermon in his church, in Lafayette Avenue, in which he made allusion to those who go to sleep in church. He regarded the custom of taking one's seat in a church and preparing one's self for a cozy nap during the service as an insuit to the Almighty. That this habit of napping in church is objectionable there is no doubt, but Mr. Cuyler should first realize, by expérience, the impossibility of sit- ting in a pew of a heated and badly-ventilated building, without feeling a drow- siness come over him, before he preaches against a custom which nine out of ten of those who f ail asleep follow, not from choice, but from physical inability to keep awake in an atmosphère where carbon is in the ascendant, and oxygen finds but little chance of access. Last night in the gallery of the Lafayette Avenue church people were fanning themselves to circulate air to breathe ; and, as the doors were closed, and but one small aperture in one of the Windows was opened to admit oxygen, and that, too, after a mild spring day, it was but little wonder that drowsiness prevailed, although the sermon was interesting enough to keep the dullest ear attentive. If you want your congrégation to keep awake, ye preachers who complain of sleepers, keep your churches well ventilated, and not closeel to the admission of oxygen, as the majority of them generally are. Brooklyn Churches, etc. — The Brooklyn Union, quoted above, evidently does not intend to allow the churches to hâve much rest until they décide to furnish to their congrégations a better atmosphère than they hâve at présent. It frequently has editorials in refereuice to church, as well as school ventilation. We copy below a communication addressed to the editor of the Union, headed "Ventilation of Churches," and signed S. B. C. In this Augustan âge it would seem that science and sensé should deal with matters that pertain to the human race, and that evils flagrant in character should be banished from our midst. Yet, in spite of the teachings of the past, we still wander on in the same beaten track, and are content with the old régime. The doctors ail agrée in saying that the breathing of impure air is a common source of disease. Now I think it would be difficult to find a single church in our city that is properly ventilated. To attend service on Sunday night is to injure one's health. Before the evening is half gone ail interest in the sermon subsides, the gas grows dim, and the close of the meeting is anxiously looked for. In the construction of new buildings tbe laws of health should be consulted. It would be a very easy matter to correct the présent ill-devised mode of ventilation, and thereby insure comfort to church-goers. A reform is much needed, and cer- tainly a beginning should be made. A Protest to Mr. Beecher.—A writer, with a some- wliat caustic pen, addresses the following letter to the Rev. Mr. Beecher, (Henry Ward, we présume,) through one of 136 the public journals, and signs himself, " Your loving but greatly distressed Hearer." MyDear Brother Beecher: I take great pleasure in saying that I attended your lecture delivered last evening before the Christian Médical Association, and was charmed and delighted with its freshness and pointed practicalness. The home-thrusts at the politico-sanitary management of thèse two great cities, the medico-politico metaphors, such as the great Systems of veins and arteries (sewers) reeking with poison which they distributed to the destruction of the lives of our citizens, capital hits at our ignorance of the laws of dietetics anel hygiène, and most pungent admonitory thrusts at the profession because they did not undertake an active crusade again st ail thèse crying evils. Ail this was splendid and soul-satisfying, but, my dear and révérend brother, with your clairvoyant spirit, were you not conscious that ail the while you were thus spending your electric power upon your vast audience, at least one half of it were suffering the torture of slow poison from one of the sources against which you were most loudly inveighing, to wit, bad ventilation ? For one, I was obliged to put forth my utmost power, although extremely interestcd in the discourse, to prevent somnolency. Others around me in the gallery com- plained in the same manner. The old adage, "Charity begins at home," it seems to me, should hâve its exemplification just hère. And to this end I, with a thousand more misér- able suffering sinners, beg that you will immediately stir up—with a very acutely acuminated stick — the pure minds of your trustées, that they may at once set their house in order in this respect ; for by doing so they will most assuredly save many bodies, if not soûls, from death, and cover up a multitude of sins, or, at least, save a multitude from breaking the commandment against cursing. Beecher and the Médical Profession.— The "dis- tressed hearer," quoted in the last article, had référence to a discourse delivered by Mr. Bee>cher before the New York Médical Students' Christian Union, February 3d, 1867, at Plymouth Church, Brooklyn. We find it reported in the Herald of Health for April, 1867. Hère are a few piquant extracts. Mr. Beecher remarks that " it is a part of the business of the médical profession to teach the great truths which stand connected with health in the matter of air and light," and then proceeds as foliows in relation to the foul air of houses, steamboats, churches, etc. The principal use which men seem to put air to is to destroy it. They go into their houses and shut out the exterior air, and burn by stoves that which is inside, and poison it by breathing, and then, when it is thoroughly destructive, go on breathing it, and sucking it in, as if it were a confection, or a luxury ! Is there any body that teaches men what air means when applied to travel in steamboats ? It is enough to set one to retching just to remember the cabin ! Is there any body to teach the community the benefit of air in railway cars, in churches, in lecture-halls, in places of crowded assembly ? We should scorn with ineffable scorn to sit down at a plate where a man had just eaten his meal, and take the knif e that had been in his mouth and put it in ours ; but we will 137 sit down and breathe the air that he has breathed, and that his wife has breathed, and that his children hâve breathed, and that the servants hâve breathed, and that forty others bave breathed, and will think it just as good for our breathing, and will breathe it over, and over, and over again, as if it was a precious morsel ! There seems to be no power to impress men that God made pure air for promoting health, and that impure air produces the crime of sick- ness—for I think that sickness is a sin. "Sxuff ix Sermons."—One of our city dailies uses this expression in a notice of Packard''s Montlily, and says it ' ' seems to hâve adopted the sxiicy sensational style as a matter of principle. The editor lias more faith in sharx?, incisive thrusts than in sleex^y, droning homilies. The means of grâce, in his view, should be pungent, as well as pious. He likes the story of an old minister who advised his young clérical friend to j)ut ' snuff in lus sermons,' if lie wished to keep the people awake, and confesses that he means to use that policy in the management of his maga- zine. ' ' Instead of snuff in sermons to keep x^eople awake, it will be founel more efficient to suxiply the church with pure air. It is not easy to keep awake in an atmosphère poisoned by the human breath. Particles Floatixg in the Atmosphère.—Mr. J. B. Dancer recently made a microscopical examination of the soliel particles found in 2,495 litres of the air of Manchester, England, by Dr. Angus Smith. The air had been washed in distilled water, and the solid matter which subsided was collectée! in a small stoppered bottle. The water containing the air-washing was first examiner! by Mr. Dancer with a power of 50 dianmters only, for the purpose of getting a gênerai knowledge of its contents ; afterward, magnifying powers varying from 120 to 1,600 diameters were employed. During the first observations few living organisms were no- ticed ; but, as it was afterward proved, the germs of plant and animal life (probably in a dormant condition) were pré- sent. Fungoid matter was most abundant. Spores or spo- ridise appeared in numbers, and to ascertain, as nearly as possible, the numerical proportion of thèse minute bodies in a sino-le drop of the fluid, the contents of the bottle were well shaken, and then one drop was taken up with a pip- ette • this was spivael out by compression to a circle half an inch in diameter. A magnifying power was then employed, 138 which gave a field of view of an area exaelly lOOth of an inch in diameter, and it was found that more than 100 sx>ores were contained in this space ; ceinseexuently the» average number of spores in a single drop would be 250,000. Thèse varied from 10,000th to 50,000th of an inch in diameter. There were about 150 such drops in the bottle», so that the sum total of spores reacheel the startling number of thirty - seven and a half millions. The myevlium of thèse minute fungi were similar to that of rust or mildew (as it is com- monly named), such as is found on straw or de»eiaying végé- tation. When the bottle had remained for 36 hours in a room at the température of 60 degrees the quantity of fungi was visibly increaseel, anel the délicate, mycelial, thmid-like roots had completely entangled the fibrous objects in the bottle and formed them into a mass. On the thirel day a number of ciliated zoospores were obsretty, chain-like threads of Conidita were visible in some of the examinations. The other objects found in the bottle were vegetable tissue ; brown and charred partie -h »s, probably arising in lighting tires ; a few hairs of the leave *s of plants and fibres ; portions of cotton filaments and of wool, such as might be expected in the air of a manufacturing city. A few granules of starch, seen by the aid of the xiolariscope, and several long eliptical bodies, similar to the pollen of the lily, were also noticed. After this dust of the atmosphère had been kept quiet for three or four days, animalculse made their ax^pearance in considérable numbers, the monads being the most numerous. Animal life soon deereased, and in twelve days no animalculse could be detected. The quantity of air from which ail the»se particles were taken (2,495 litres, or 549 gallons) is about equal to that which would be resxrired in ten hours by a man of ordinary size, when actively emiployed. The particles floating in the at- mosphère will differ in character according to the season of the year, the direction of the wind, and the locality in which they are collected, and, as might be exj)ected, are much less in quantity after rain. 139 A Peck of Dirt.—Under this title, and in référence to the above, the periodical known as Once a Week lias the following editorial comments, reminding the reader that the worst atmosphère we poor mortals hâve to breathe is about five feet above the surface of the earth : Some few months ago D". Letheby made .known the results of various analyses of London mud, and told us that it contained fifty-seven per cent, of horse refuse, thirty per cent, of abraded stone, and thirteen per cent, of abraded iron from horses' hoofs and wheel tires. This délectable compound, rising in the form of dust in dry weather, is inhaleel by passengers through the streets of the metropolis. A Dublin chemist, at about the same time, made similar révé- lations concerning the détritus of his city. Now we hâve the results of a microscopical examination of the solid particles that float in the air of Man- chester. Mr. Dancer has been collecting thèse from various localities, and at différent heights from the ground, and subjecting them to close scrutiny. As might be expected, various places and altitudes give atoms differing in magni- tude, appearance and quantity per cubic inch of atmosphère. Strangely enough, the largest are found at about five feet from the ground, just the height of pedestrians' mouths ; and the matter, chiefly vegetable, is that which has passée! through the stomachs of animais, or which has suffered partial dé- composition in some way or other. Sometimes animalculœ are présent in good proportion. This is ail very disagreeable ; it is to be f eared that they who dwell in dusty towns eat considerably more than the prescribed peck of dirt before they die. Whether they are worse for the excess remains to be proved; if they think that they are, let them go in for respirators and sift their oxygen. Vextilatiox of Ferry-Boats.—This is an urgent ne- cessity. We do not see any such packing together of human beings as on the Ferry-Boats. The stench in the saloons is beyond description. A writer in the Brooklyn Union discourses on this subject as follows, under date of February 11, 1867 : Now that the ferry question is being agitated, will you allow me to say a word in regard to the ventilation of the boats ? Pure air costs nothing, though the extrême economy with which some people use it would lead us to believe it to be the most costly necessity that the world demands. We may search in vain for the smallest opening in the cabins of our ferry-boats ; ail the oxygen to be obtained crowds in at the door-seams, notwithstanding thèse boats are admirably adapted to the purposes of ventilation. The foulness of the air in the Fulton Ferry cabins at any hour of the night is overpowermg ; it is an absolute stench ; every drawn breath is a death dart. There are not a few who, crossing late at night, and fatigued, prefer standing in the open air to sitting in thèse Vulcan's stithies. If we can not hâve many other things, we bave a right to demand fresh air. Ventilated Smoking-Rooms—Gen. Grant—Carlyle ___^LIC.E Cary.__The true gentleman will not smoke in the presene-e of others without first obtaining their consent. Ile knows that tobacco smoke is a poison to those not accustomed 140 to the use of tobacco. He will therefore be cou si dér- até, and avoiel making others sick by the inelulgence of his habit. When you see a man smoking in an eannibus, or on the platform of a car, you may know that lie is destitute of ail the refining influences of society. G<»n. Grant is a smoker, but he does not disregard the laws of dec(»ncy in yielding to the habit. Mr. Carlyle is a smoker, but instead of polluting his house with tobacco smoke, he goes into his little flower garden in the rear of his house for that x>urpose. Hère lie smokes "his evening pipe," without offending any body's nostrils but his own, excepting those who may vol- untarily seek an audience with him. In a notie'e of a lk Wo- man's Club" in this city,. of which Alice Cary is président, it was suggesteel, in refereime to the accommodation of maie visitors, that they should do their smoking in the attic. This woule! be well in one particular ; no one woule! be made sick by the tobacco-smoke but the smokers themselves. But it would be cruel to banish the gentlemen visitors to the attic. Besides, "it is very bad," says the notice from which we quote, "for men to be much together. As they grow gregarious they are apt to grow coarse, and to be satisfied with a low standarel of conversation. They talk horse, they talk dog, they talk wine, and they talk worse ; they tell broad stories, and they crack broad jokes ; they try to get away from commercial topics, or politics, and lamentably fail ; they find each other inexpressibly stupid, and muddle themselves in the desxierate effort to be sociable." Smoking is beset with many difficulties. It not only offends your neighbor or friend, who is not accustomed to it, but it slowly and surely impairs the health. It pervades and saturâtes every part of the physical System. Cannibals in the South Sea Islands, it is said, will not eat the bodies of missionaries whom they hâve killed, in case the latter hâve been addicted to the use of tobacco. The flesh, im- pregnated wdth tobacco, is unsavory to the cannibal taste Gentlemen who smoke, should hâve ventilated smoking- rooms in their houses. The smoke would then be carried away without saturating the house, or offending individuals in other rooms. Moreover, the smoking-room need not be in the attic, as mentioned above—it may be» in the basement as well. Without ventilation, the concentrated smoke of 141 tobacco, in a close room, becomes extremely disagreeable to the smokers themselves. The only remedy therefore is a ventilated smoking-room Was it the Whiskey?—A gentleman came to us re- ceatly to talk ventilation. He had been getting some new ideas about foul air. He lived in the vicinity of Steinway Hall, and as the entertainments of the place were exactly suited to his taste, lie was a fréquent visitor at the Hall. But he never went tliere without getting a headache. Some- body told him it was the foul air. But he didn't believe it. He thought it was the whiskey lie was in the habit of tak- ing. Of course lie wanted to exx)lain about the whiskey. He wasn't a torier—nor was he a member of a tempérance society. He had a trouble of the lungs, and his doctor thought a little whiskey would do him good. He didn't care much for the whiskey, but it wasn't hard to take, and so he swallowed a little of it now and then—a table- spoonful or so. He finally concluded that his headaches at Steinway Hall were caused by the whiskey, and not by the foul air, and so lie left off the whiskey. He then went to the Hall on three différent occasions without having taken any whiskey, and every night lie had a headache just the same as before—worse and worse. He then concluded not to stop the whiskey any longer, but to stop going to Stein- way Hall. He lias not been to th«» Hall since, and don't in- tend to go any more, unless Mr. Steinway should hâve it ventilated. He don't believe in paying a dollar, or a dollar and half, for a headache. He thinks Mr. Steinway would be unreasonable to expect u Coffixs versus Ventilation.—Cofîins cost money—so does ventilation. We sometimes think people would rather pay bills for coffins than to expenel a little money for venti- lation and fresh air. We hâve in our "mind's eye" a cer- tain building that will serve for an illustration. Its where- abouts must remain a secret for the présent. It is devoted to charitable purposes, and among other uses, it accommo- dâtes a Sunday-school, numbering 600 or 700 pupils, with thirty or forty lady teachers. The atmosphère of the school is extremely foul, and dangerous to health and life. It has been in this condition for a year and a half, notwithstanding 142 the earnest remonstrances of the teachers, who are» ladies of éducation and îvfinement, and whose» lives are too valuable to be lost by such a reckless exposure to foul air. Large sums of money hâve been paid out for tinkering projects in the way of ventilation, but without the slightest success. Ladies frequently go home sick from the» school. One lady was attackee! with consumptive symptoms, and was brought to death's door, but slowly recovered. Healtliy men are sometimes made sick by an exposure of an hour or two in the atmosphère of this buileling. We must now make a spécial application of our text, coffins versus ventilation. One of the prominent gentleanen having control of the above building, said that money could not be» spaivd for its ventilation. Another gentleman, also interested in the building, hearing the remark, said, " Can't spare money to ventilate the building, sir % I want you to understand that we consider your life and services valuable, and if you are much exx>oseel to the poisoneel air of this building, you will die—you can't help it ; and if you die, it will cost us at least S500 to bury you. If you care anything about your life, and wish to be economical, you had better pay the $500 for ventilation, or three times that amount, if necessary, anel save your life. We wouldn't like to bury you, sir, for the sake of saving even fifteen hundred dollars." Thus ended the colloquy, anel whether coffins or ventilation will carry the elay, re»mains yet to be seen. Furnace Heat Detrimextal to Health.—Ux^on this important subject a correspondent of the New York Times, signing himself Hygiène, uses the following language : The several articles which you hâve published lately upon the subject of furnace air, and the difficulty of sufficiently, and at the same time healthfully, heating our dwelling-houses, hâve been read with great interest and approval by many. The subject is certainly one of vast importance, and those who use fur- naces, even for heating their halls only, should guard with the utmost care against the impure and injurious air which will be produced by any furnace not properly constructed and managed. That dry, almost choking air, which ail must at times hâve perceived, is a promient cause of the colds so common, one might say universal, at the présent day. The lungs are filled with it the greater portion of the time, and as a natural conséquence, become weak and often diseased. When cold fresh air enters such sensitive organs, inflammation is frequently excited, and this, if often repeated, may resuit in consumption. Several of our leading physicians déclare that three-f ourths of the colds which prevail in ail great cities during winter, early spring, anel late fall, are caused by the unwholesome air produced by furnac.es. 143 If you, by agitating the subject, and presenting it to the public in the Times, can persuade some of our scientific men to examine the matter, and produce a remeely for this evil, you will indeed be very great benefactors of your fellow- citizens. The editor of the Times, in referring to the above article, indulges in the annexeel comments : A correspondent, whose letter we printed yesterday, thinks that we might do a great deal of good by running a-muck at the "furnace in the household." He would know better if he ever properly gauged the difficulty of breaking down olel-established préjudices. People bave got used to the heater, and they persuade themselves that they can not live without it. As a matter of fact, it is wonderful that they can live with it : the dry air is highly injurious to the con- stitution, and lays more children on sick beds at this season of the year than any other single cause. The first order a doctor gives when he enters a sick room, which is warmed by a heater, is for more ventilation. Poverty of blood, exces- sive liability to cold, feverishness, dry skin—thèse are the inévitable consé- quences of living in the unnatural atmosphère which we now find in nine houses out of ten. An open fireplace produces a draft up the chimney, and so venti- lâtes the apartment. Moreover, a mère look at a blazing fire does more to warm and cheer one than ail the steampipes ever made. But our correspondent " Hygiène " need not suppose that such considérations as thèse will change fixée! habits. Our Passexger Steamers—Their Glory and Their Shame.—Under this lit le the New York Times, in still an- other utilitarian article in relation to xmre air and ventila- tion, lias some remarks upon the subject of North River and other steamers, of which the annexed paragraph is an interesting sample : In the matter of passenger comfort, the appointments of our steamers below deck are wholly inconsistent with the provisions for luxury above. The chief defect is the want of ventilation in the dining-saloon and in the adjacent state- rooms. The greater number of passengers—at least those who bave a sanitary, not to say œsthetical, idea of dining—habitually avoid the cabin of a steamboat, and so decrease the revenues of the Company, not because the cuisine or attendance is specially bad, but simply because the air of the saloon is intoler- ably hot for four months of the season, and insufferably foul from the opening to the closing of navigation. Ail this might be remedied by means of a venti- lating fan. If great coal mines, hundreds of feet under ground, with narrow entrances choked with miasmatic and explosive gases, are kept wholesome and safe by single fans, certainly the cabin of a steamer, full of port-holes and skylights, may be kept pure and cool by similar means. A single fan, drawing out the foul air, and keeping a gentle current of fresh air passing through the cabin, would make it a most comf ortable and désirable retreat, rather than a sweltering hole, which ail men avoid if possible, and where the huugiy boit their food in order to make a speedy escape. We venture to say that the whole first cost of the apparatus, and the expenses of running it for an entire season, would be saved out of the increased dining-room profits of a single month. It rarely occurs that so great a luxury can be provided at so small a cost, and we urge our steamboat managers, now refitting their "floating palaces" for next 144 season's business, not to overlook this signal means of augmenting their revenues and accommodating the traveling public. The ventilating fan, spoken of above, will probably not be found a very serviceable fixture for ventilating pur- poses. It is neither efficient nor economical. If it answeis no better in a steamboat than it has answereel in the Caxritol at Washington, anel other public buildings, it will not amount to much. Air can be made to pass into and out of the cabin of a steamboat, for the purpose of ventilation, by a much more simple method than that of the fan arrange- ment. (See "Forced Ventilation," page 64.) "Little Nellie is Dyixg !"—This was the mournful expression of an agonized mother to lier family physician as lie entered the jiaiior on a professional visit to lier sick daughter, named above. ' ' Little Nellie, ' ' as she was called, was not quite twelve years old, and was the darling child of her mother. Her history is brief. She had been sent to a public school, was studious and precocious, and always stood at the head of lier class. Her health, however, was not good. She frequently came home from school with a head- ache ; and after a while she began to lose her appetite, and to look pale and haggard ; and still later, a cough began to trouble her, and the family physician advised her to give up study and stay away from school. Her cough increased, and it was not long before it was decided that little Nellie had the consumption. She was put into one of the best rooms of her mother's house, which was heated by a fur- nace ; and to keep out the fresh air as much as possible, through fear that it might be injurious to Kellie, the doors and Windows were rendered air-tight by weather-strips. Every evening, as soon as the sun went down, Nellie's room was brilliantly lighted by the Argand burners of an élégant chandelier. This was for the purpose of rendering the apart- ment cheerful, according to the mother's idea, and to com- pensate, as far as possible, for the absence of the sun's rays. Many little girls of about Nellie's âge, together with a num- ber of her Sunday-school teachers, came very often to see her, and they were generally admitted into her room, some- times a number of them together. It did not occur to any body that the furnace heat, the weather-strips, and the Argand burners, together with the présence of numerous 145 visitors in the sick-room, ail tended to render the atmos- phère» impure and deleterious. We will now return to the mother and physician whom we left in the parlor. The mother, with tears gathering in eyes, said, "Do you think, doctor, that health is ever injured by foul air V " Foul air !" repeated the doctor, with a look of astonish- ment. "What do you mean by foul air, madam ?" The mother re»xdied, "I mean the air we breathe; is.it not rendered foul by breathing it over a number of times V ' "I suppose it is," said the doctor, "but not in a suffi- cient degree to injure the health." "You may not be sure of that," repliée! the mother. "I hâve heard of a place in India into which a number of men were crowded in the evening, with little or no fresh air, and in the morning the most of them were found dead." "Oh." said the doctor, "that was the Black-Hole of Calcutta ;* such instances of exposure to foul air are very rare. ' ' "It is to be hoped so," said the mother; "but I fear, from ail I hâve heard recently, that we havè analagous blaek-holes in our very midst without recognizing the fact. If the men who died in India were destroyed by poisoned air in a few hours, why may not air less poisonous produce its effects upon the System more slowly, and give rise to sickness and ultimate death, while we are ignorant of the true cause of the difficulty?" " It may be possible," replied the doctor, as if not dis- posed to continue the conversation. "The subject is new to me," continued the mother, " but I consider it one of great importance. I hâve heard that there is a great deal of foul air in the public schools, owing to the absence of ventilation, and that teachers as well as pupils die in a short time of consumption, as a conséquence of the foul air. I can now understand why my darling Nellie hardly ever came home from school without a headache; "^Thiswas âdungeon, eighteen feet square, with only two small Windows, into which 146 Englishmen were thrust. In less than an hour their breathing became difficult, and their cries for water were dreadful. Within three hours the most of them were dead. At six the next morning, making a period of twelve hours, an order came for their release, when only twenty-three of them were found alive. The most of thèse were prostrated with a putrid fever. 146 and if I had known that her health was in danger, nothing could hâve induced me to send her to school a single day." ' ' The air in our public schools is not as good as it ought to be," said the doctor. "But the school," continuée! the mother, tl lias not be>e»n the only difficulty in my daughter's case. Through my ignorance of the laws of health, she lias been shut ur) in a close room in which the air was nearly or perhaps quite» as impure as that of lier school-room. I excluded the fresh air with weather-strips ; I dependee! for warmth upon furnace- heat, which I now understand is injurious to healthy people, to say nothing of invalids ; I lighted the room with a num- ber of Argand burners, to render it cheerful, which caused a large accummulation of what you doctors and chemists call carbonic acid gas, and which, I am tolel, is dangerous to health. There was no outlet to my danghter's room, excepting when the door was open, so that the rioison of her breath, and the poison escapingfrom tlie lungs of lier attend- ants and visitors, had no chance of making its (»scajL)e. The sensé of smell alone assured me that the air was very foul whenever I entered the room ; but I supposed, in my igno- rance, that the fresh air would be very injurious to my dar- ling child. I see now, when it is too late, how great has been my error. The process of poisoning my child com- menced at the public school, and I hâve; completed it in my own house. The knowledge which I hâve obtained in rela- tion to this matter was derived from a lady friend who called hère by accident yesterday, anel who hael been in the army among our sick and wounded soldiers, where she acquireel many useful lessons in relation to health and disease, and where, in particular, she had an opportunity of witirnssing the baneful effee-ts of foul air. But I am detaining you too long, doctor ; my daughter can not live beyond another day, and I am not aware that your professional services can be of any further avail." The doctor, who had listened to the mother with a sael- dened expression of countenance, atteanpted no roply, but moved quietly out of the parlor, and with a formai but respectful bow, made his exit from the house. At the time of this conversation, little Xellie had been removed from the close room in which she had been lon°- 147 confined, without any remonstrance on the part of lier physician, to another apartment which had been hastily fitteel up for her réception. This had been done at the instance of the lady-friend, spoken of in the x>receding con- versation. The room w^as heated by a stove instead of the furnace, and everything had been contrived, as well as it coule! be in so short a time, to furnish an agreeable atmos- phère to the suffering patient. Little Nellie ree'ognized the change at once, and said, "I seem to be in a new world, mamma." She then went to slee»x>, and waking, much refreshed, after a few hours, she looked up into her mother' s face and said, ' ' I breathe freely now ; I do not cough in this room as I did in the other ; I feel as if a heavy weight had been taken from my lungs ; I shall die easily ; death will come to me like a sweet sleex», or a sweet dream, and I shall only be sorrv, dear mamnia, to fly away to the land of spirits and leave you ail alone." Upon the utterance of thèse words the street door-bell rung, and presently the name of the family physician was announced. The heart-stricken mother, with lier eyes filled with tears, went below into the parlor to receive her profes- sional visitor. The conversation that ensued is recorded above. Ixfaxtile Disease and Mortality—Foul Air,— Dr. Mereelith Clymer, American editor of an English work entitled Principles of Medicine, by Professor Williams, F. R. S., says in a note, " One of tlie most fertile sources of infantile disease is a Vant of x^ure and wholesome air, the effects of which are sure to manifest themselves, though often obscurely and at a remote period. It is physiologically impossible for human beings to grow up in a sound and healthy condition of body and mind, in the midst of a cleise, ill-ventilated atmosphère. Those that are least able to resist its baleful influence are carried off by the diseases of infancy and childhood ; and those whose native vigor of constitution enables them to struggle through thèse become the victims, in later y<»ars, of diseases which cut short their term of life, or deprive them of a large portion of that enjoyment which health alone can bring." . . . Dr. Clymer adds, "At the end of the last century, in the Dublin Foundling Hospital, during a space of twenty-one years, out of 10,272 148 sick children sent to the infirmary, only forty-fivoivceivered. Deficie»nt ventilation, from the crowding of the warels, was an efficient agent in tins fearful resuit." Faraday's Opinions.—Who has not heard of Sir Michael Faraday, the eminent e'hemist \ Ane! who will not hâve a regard for his opinions on the subject of impure air and ventilation ? The following remarks by him were» made to a parliamentary committee in 1835, on the subject of ven- tilation. He said, ' ' Air feels unpleasant in the breathing cavities, including the mouth and nostrils, not merely from the absence of oxygen, the x>resence of e'arbonie' acid, or the eh»vation of temxierature», but from other causes, derpending on matters which are communicated to it by the human being. I think that an individual may find a decieleel différ- ence in his feelings when making part of a large comxpany, from what lie does when one of a small number of riersons, and yet the thermometer give the same indication. When I am one of a large number of persons, I feel an ox>x>ressiv<» semsation of closeness, notwithstanding the température may be about 60° or 65°, which I do not feel in a small company at the same température, and which I can not refer altogether to the absorption of eixygen, or the eve'lution of carbonic acid, and which probably dépends on the effluvia of the many présent ; but with me it is much eliminished by a lowering of the température, and the sensations become much more like those occurring in a small company. The object of a good System of ventilation is to remove tlie effects of such air." Faintixg and Hysterics in Churches.—Dr. Combe. whose works hâve been so deservdly popular with the public, says, "Fainting and hysterics occur in churches much more frequently in the afternoon than in the forenoon, because the air is then vitiated to the full extent by breath- ing." Infant Mortality.—On this subject Dr. Combe further says: ''About one hundred years ago, when the pauper infants of London were confined in the workhouses amid impure air, not more than one in twenty live>el to b<> a year old, so that out of 2,800 receivee! into them, 2,600 elied ye»ariy ; but when the e-onditions of health came to be better 149 understood, and an Act of Parliament was obtained, compel- ling the parish officers to send the infants to nurse in the country, this frightful mortality was reduced to 450 annually." Dr. Thomas Laycock — Foul Air — Typhus Fever, etc.—The words of this celebrated English physician, as recorded in the London Médical Gazette, will, no doubt, be received as good authority everywhere. He says, ' ' Under the streets of our best-draineel towns and cities there is a widely-extended magazine of miasmata. That magazine is hidden from view, yet it is ubiquitous. It enters every court and alley, and during the heat of summer is put into fearful activity, and night and day evolves many thou- sand cubic inches of foul air. And that foul air is often impercex»tible to the sensés. Nobody suspects it is evolved and ascends from every gully-hole, until previeuisly to or during rain, when it is held in solution in the aqueous varior of the atmosphère, and becomes x)ereex.)tible to the sensé of smell. . . . Xight and day a miasm is ascending from the cess-pool called the street-drain, through the sink-hole in the kitchen, and infecting the air of the whole house. . It may hâve no smell, or no unpleasant smell, and yet be a deadly poison. Tliere is no smell in pure car- bonic aciel gas, and it is only an innocent odor of garlic that characterizes the fumes of arsenic, yet both thèse are deadly things. ... I hold it to be an established principle that the malaria arising from the abominable sewers, espe- cially in the metroxiolis, [London,] where water-closets and crowded church-yarels abound, is the fruitful source of our summer épidémies ; and you may rely upon this, that wherever you hâve choiera or typhus épidémie, there you hâve a source of malaria. . . . When you find a family suffering from choiera, or fever, you will find a filthy drain close by." Malaria.—In connection with the above, Dr. Laycock' s remarks upon the subject of malarious poisons are worthy of spécial notice. He says, "I am inclined to think that the excrétions of swine and of human beings give off the worst. I speak now of the source of civic malaria, and not of malaria generally ; otherwise the miasms from salt- water marshes are perhaps worse than thèse. The next in 150 virulence are putrid water-butts and eisterns of wate»r-cle)sets, and émanations from water-closets themselve»s. Then the émanations from sewers, especially if connected with burial- grounds or slaughter-houses. Indeed, thèse latter belong to the first rank. Heaps of cow-dung or horse-dung are less injurious than the xneceeliiig, and chanellcries follow after thèse. Sometimes cellars get flooeled after he»avy rains, and in summer send up a foul, damx^ miasm, and this is bad. You must remember that the gene»ral tendency of thèse miasms is to ascenel. When the wind blows ni) or down the river [Thames] with fenre, I suspect it blows the miasm ux? the mouths of the drains which ox^en into it. Tliere is a back air as well as a back water, and this e-sca|)es through the gully-holes in the course of the sewer." Cows and Cow Stables.—What a Professor of Materia Medica says. — Every thing pertaining to the ce)w is intimately related to the comfort anel health of the human family, inasmuch as the milk of the cow is an indis- Xiensable article of diet. We hâve said elsewhere» that a cow can not yield pure or wholesome milk unless she lias T)ure air to breathe, and therefore the barbarous custom of shutting up cows in filthy anel unveaitilated stables should be regareled as a crime punishable by statute. A case in point occurred in Brooklyn, where a eruel man shut ux) his cows in a sta- ble, situated in Skillman Street, without light or ventilation. He was charged with cruelty to the animais, and had a hear- ing before Justice Cornwell. During the trial the following testimony was given by Dr Samuel R. Percy. We côpy from the New York Times : Q. What would be the effect upon cows confined in a dark, badly venti- lated stable, in narrow stalls, chained so that their heads could only move about six inches, kept in that position for many months and fed upon soft food ? A. The first effect on the animais would be to produce an uneasy, feverish state, with a loathing and rejection of food. This feverish state would last more or less during the confinement of the animal. At length atoleration of its circum- stances would be acquired, so that the animal might live and yet not be healthy. Within a week or so after its confinement, another symptom, soreness of the feet, would occur—the feet would become tender, and he had seen hundreds of cases where the poor animal kept constantly changing its position on account of the tenderness and soreness of its feet. If the animal is long confined in such stables, the hoof s become elongated and the animal is thrown back upon the heel ; that has been noticed in a number of cases. He had seen animais of this description unfastened and let out. The effect is the same for a time after they get out on the ground - a constant lifting of the feet and a constant change 151 of position. The animais also became sore by lying down. He had seen many sores left by sloughs, in the same way as bed-sores, by the animais lying down for ease. The effect of the air in thèse cases would be very deleterious, leading to impurity of the blood. So injurious had he seen this effect of bad air, that he had seen rows of cattle breathing over one hundred times a minute, while naturally they should breathe about twenty. The effect of the rapid breathing is to increase the frequency of the heart-beats till they become so rapid that it is impossible to count them. This must produce a gênerai fever. Another dis- ease produced by herding cows together in confined places is to give them what is called the " Distemper," which ail cows take in thèse stables, unless vaccinatcd to prevent it. This vaccination is a cruel practise, causing the tail of the poor animal to swell, to become extremely sore, and frequently to com- pel the amputation of the tail to save the cow from death. It is this practice which has given the characteristic name of " stump-tails. " (The witness hère spoke about the cow-stables in Holland, where diseases were engendered bythe close confinement of cattle, and thence spread, not only throughout Europe, but in this country, and he contended that thousands hâve died from diseases of the nature thus described.) Voice from Judge Dikemax.—The following letter from Judge Dikeman, in référence to the non-ventilation of his court-room, will explain itself, and has, we may add, a wide range of axiplication : Brooklyn, April 24, 1867. To the Honorable Board of Supervisors of Kings County : The undersigned beg leave to say that, deeply impressed with the duty of afford ing persons charged with crime in said county a speedy trial, and of les- sening as much as possible the expense of the county in jurors' fées, the Court of Sessions has from time to time for some years, and continuously since Octo- ber last until about three weeks since, been usually held for five days in the week and for five to seven hours each day. This service has been performed under the most unfavorable circumstances, and is extremely injurious to our health and the health of the jurors and others, arising from the want of suitable heat in cold weather and imperfect ventilation at ail times. That our expérience has demonstrated to our entire satisfaction that with- out better ventilation we can not, with due regard to our health and the health of others, hold the Court of Sessions in the room now used for the purpose more than two hours each day—one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon—giving time for ventilation by opening the doors and Windows between thèse times. We hâve therefore, after mature délibération, determined that we will not hold said Court in the room more than two hours in any one day. We regret the necessity of this détermination, especially in view of the increased ex- penses which must resuit to the county for jurors' fées and the support of prisoners detainecl in jail awaiting trial. Yours respectfully, John Dikeman, County Judge. W. H. Hott, Stephen J. Voorhees, Associate Justices. 152 Influence of Happy Homes.—It is a beautiful idea.. entertained by the French Emperor, in connection with the Model Dwellings which lie exhibiteel at the Paris Ex- position, that the best anel truest method of relbnn- ing a dissolute people is to begin by furnishing them with pleasant homes. A chee»rful home be»come»s at once the centre of hapiiy influences, and lias much to do in moulding the character, and improving the moral condition. Men who are unevenly balancent between good and evil, will fly from a cheerless or unattractive home», and plunge into every species of dissipation in the onter world. Pleasant homes, therefore, are to the laboring classes what the sun is to the planetary System, a central and controlling power, by which ail of their niovemients are r<»gulate>el. This does not seem to hâve been thought of in Xew York City, in the midst of our wretched tenement- houses, nor in any of our large American cities. The French Emperor deserves crédit for the conception, for it relates not merely to the imxjrovement of his favorite Latin races, but to the races of the whole human family. One of the indis- pensable requisites of a happy home, however, is fresh air, which was not found in the model houses of the Emperor. The houses were mouldy, and the concierge, residing in one of them, was rheumatic. A mouldy atmosphère anel rheu- matism are apt to go together. A rheumatic individual is never remarkable for the happiness he enjoy s. To be healthy and happy, we must hâve fresh air to breathe. Fresh air is to the human body what sun-light and dew are to plants and flowers, imparting a secret but irresistable charm to home pleasures and enjoyments__morkis mattson, m.d. MODEL DWELLINGS AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION—FRENCH EMPEROR—PRINCE CONSORT—VENTILATION, ETC. Among the attractions of the Paris Exposition in 1867, were plans andmodels for dwellings designed for the people, in which cheapness was combined with the conditions neces- sary for health and comfort. The Emperor himself, who is something of a chemist, something of an author, something of a gênerai, and, withal, something of an architect and builder, contributed a number of model houses. An inter- esting report in référence to this branch of the Exposition 153 was furnished to the public by Mr. Edwin Chadwiedv, C. B., of England, who assumes that fully one-half the diseases which afflict the working-classes in Great Britain are occa- sioned by localizing causes in and about their dwellings. The same is partially true, he says, of continental cities. Mr. Chadwick is disposed to think that the model houses <»xhib- ited in the Paris Exposition were not superior in sanitary construction to those displayeel by Prince Albert in the World's Fair of 1851. His report is full of interest and instruction, and it is interesting to know that a Prince and an Einrieror hâve been usefully employée! in endeavoring to improve the construction of dwellings. And yet we are sorry to perceive that tliere lias been no visible x^rogress in this direction during the sixteen years intervening between the World's Fair in 1851 and the Paris Exposition in 1867. In référence to ventilation, we do not find that much has been accomplished in England under the influenoe of the Prince Consort, nor in France under the sway of the Empoeror. In connection with the subject of model dwellings for the poor, it is stateel that in the princixml cities - in France mïsery and disorder hâve increaseel in x>i"OX)ortion to the growth of the manufacturing interests, and that this sael con- dition of society can not be relieveel so effectually by the bestowal of charities, as by the improvement of the habita- tions. Accordingly, M. Jean Dolfus, an eminent manufac- turer, and Ma y or of Mulhouse, who was a leader in this peculiar reform, proceeded to erect an expérimental block of four dwellings, organizing a society with a capital of 300,000 francs. Previous to this the Emperor had studied and experiment(»el upon the same subject, having erected a cité ouvrière or working-men's quarter, in 1849 ; and in 1852, a grant of 10,000,000 francs was appropriated for the amélioration of the dwellings of the laborers in some of the manufacturing citie»s. Thèse dwellings were so constructed as to re>se>mble barracks, and thus were considérée! radically defective, as each tenant was deprived of his requisite independence. The mechanics of Paris, it is stated, would not submit to this deprivation. Railway Vibrations are spoken of by Mr. Chadwick as being injurious to the health of the working-classes who are obliged to seek their homes by railway transit. 154 Beau-Ideal of Ventilation.—Mr. Chadwick says, "I hâve never hitherto met with an instance of any structural improvement made in the dwellings of the wages class or peasant prornietary by themselve»s." He then states, as an exception, that when the Emperor directeel 40 new dwedlings to be erecteel uipon a plan of his own, the associateel workmen of Paris déclarée! that they could make improvements in them, whereupon the Emyjeror granted them 20,000 francs with which to make the trial, and they constructed a dwelling which they adopted as their model. Of the latter design the reporter says, ' ' On the whole this house is a decided success. Some ventilation, though I deean it imperfect, is provided for the living anel the sleeping rooms ; but the window space is large. They hâve furnished an open orna- mental grating in the front door, and the stair sipace is large ; the front door aperture will serve for aération, and contribute to make the whole house one which will be of good, or comparatively suxierior, aération. The élé- vation is cheerful and in good taste, and the papering anel internai décorations are sux>erior to any real workman's effort that I hâve seen in their dwellings in Englanel." We may well say beau-ideal of ventilation. In the model house, described above, which was the offspring of the skill and genius of the French Emperor, improved upon by the associateel workmen of Paris, with 20,000 francs to aid them in their efforts, we find no ventilation excepting what is afforded by open Windows, and a front door aper- ture. It was well said by Mr. Chadwick that lie deemed the ventilation imperfect. Hère, then, is the Emiieror, in the year of grâce 1867, exhibiting to the world his model houses almost destitute of ventilation, however perfect they may be in other respects. The report goes on to discuss the sanitary and economi- cal questions of construction relating to the dwellings of the laboring classes. The wall question, the» window question, the warming and cooking question, the chimney question, and the question in référence to ventilation, are considered seriatim, and each of thèse we shall briefly notice. The Wall Question—"The Dead Max's Smell."— In describing the wall question, Mr. Chadwick says that those who hâve occasion to visit over-crowded tenement- 155 houses become unpleasantly aware of a peculiarly depres- sing, musty, fetid sme»ll. After épidémie attacks the inmates will refer to this as the "dead man's smell." The cause of this odor is in the absorption by the walls of foul miasms. In course of the service under the Health Act in England, there were cases where the occupants of a house were ail attacked with fever, and ail Avère orderee! to be removed, and the walls and ceilings lime-washed. It was then found that the per- formance of this service had been neglected with respect to particular houses ; and in those uncleans<»el houses, and those alone, and with fresh occupants, the fever lias broken out again, thus demonstrating the condition of the "leprous house," and the effiçiency of the work of purification Walls lathed, plastered, and papered are even worse for such teiiements. The laths rot, the size of the paper dé- composes, and the paper itself harbors vermin. The condi- tion of some of the houses of this construction is horrible. To admit of the cleansing of the walls by lime-washing in Miss Burdett Coutts1, in the Peabody, and in other model dwellings, the walls hâve not been plastered or papered. In some instances the sanitary orders are that the walls shall be lime-washed twice, and in other instances as many as four washings a year, are deemed necessary. The occupants greatly dislike thèse bare brick walls. In new hospitals the evil is in a great measure prevented by facing the interior wall with some hard and smooth surface, generally of the best non-absorbent and washable cernent. Absorption of Water by Brick, Granité, etc—Ail interior cottage walls, it is urged, should be maele washable. Beside the evil arising from the absorbency of the animal- ized gases by walls of the common construction, there is another great source of evil attaching to walls of the com- mon brick anel soft stone construction—the absorbency and retentiveness of water or damp. In England a common brick will absorb as much as a pint of water. Suppose the external walls of an ordinary cottage to hâve the thickness of one brick, and to consist of 12,000 bricks, they will be capable of holding 1,500 gallons or 6£ tuns of water. To evaporate this amount of water would require nearly a tun of coal. The softer and more workable stones are of various denrées of absorbency, and ariricar to be more retentive 15G of moisture than common brick. Professe>r Ansted states that the facility with which sandstone absorbs water is illus- trateel by the quantity it contains both in its ordinary state and when saturated. He states that even granité always contains a certain percentage of water, anel in the dry state is rarely without a pint-and-a-half in every cubic foot, Sandstone, however—even that deemed fit for building pur- poses—may contain half-a-gallon per cubic foot, anel lex)se sand at least two gallons. When water présents itself in any part of such material it reaelily diffuses itself by the power of capillary attraction, anel thus it lias been known to ascend in Paris thirty-two feet from the foundations. This water having to be evay>orated, lowers the température. Damp walls or houses cause rheumatism, diminish strength, and expose the System to other passing causes of disease. Mr. Chadwick says that houses in London, even of the bet- ter class, can not safely be inhabited in less than nine months after their construction. Registraîs of deaths assert that there is usually an extra death rate when houses are first occupied. The majority of the bent figures seen in English villages are due to rheumatism contractée! in damp houses. In Paris, notwithstanding its dry sub-soilane! drier climate, thèse evils are still greater, in conséquence of the imperfections of the houses. A Parisian builder of expéri- ence stateel that it was unsafe to occupy a new house in Paris in less than a year after it was built, and that tliere were houses in Paris which would never be dry, and which would always afflict their occupants injuriously. In going over the new model dwellings constructed for the Emperor, marks of damp were observed upon some of the walls, although they had been erected nearly two years. The con- cierge who showed them was suffering from a grievous rheumatic affection, and there had been much illness among the occuxiants, from having occupied the houses too soon. Hollow Bricks. — The use of thèse is recommended as avoiding many of the evils which hâve been cited in con- nection with the ordinary material. M. Ferrand, the archi- tect of the moelel dwellings of the Co-operative Society of Paris, makes his walls of hollow brick, with a thickness of five inches, which would be insufficient for be>aring pur- poses, but the wall is hele! together by iron columns, beams, 157 and cross-trees. The hollow-brick cottage1 constructions, with hollow-brick flat roofs as well as walls, in England, are reportée! as being warmer in winter and cooler in sum- mer than the common constructions. Washable Walls—The importance of this is strongly urgeel by Mr. Chadwick ; and we ail know that the ordinary wall-paper lias many objections. It absorbs filthy matter from the atmosphère, harbors vermin, and the coloring mat- ter is sometimes poisonous. The best sxH»e'imen of a sanitary wall-surface was found in Class 24 of the Prussian depart- ment of the Exhibition, in the white pottery, consisting of large exterior surfaces of stones manufactured in Be»rlin. The Wixdow Questiox.—With single plates of glass, says Mr. Chadwick, about one-third of the warmth of the apartinent is radiated through the Windows ; but a double window, with the stratum of air between, makes the window space about equal to the common wall space in non-con- ducting power. Very thick plate glass has a similar effect. By an experiment made in winter, with the thermometer at thirty elegrees, it was found that the différence in radiation between thin wrndow-glass and thick plate glass was about 8 degrees. If, therefore, a laboring man pays a shilling a week, as he generally does in London, for coal to warm his room in winter, one-third, or fourpence of it, would be wasteel through the thin window. This waste of heating- power would compensate for getting a thick glass window, or a double one. Ail the model-dwelling Windows in tlie Exhibition wTere of thin window-glass. Some of them had very small Tianes. The Austrian model dwellings had a double window, 6 ft. by 3-.V ft, This window was regardée! as eeonomical, as it would save heat during a large portion of the veai\ There has been as yet no introduction of cheap form s "of thick ground glass, which, without interrupting lio-ht, performed the service of curtains to the lower panes. Very thick glass is saferfrom breakage than thin glass, and therefore' may be safely used in large panes, even for cot- tao<»s. In some houses of a higher condition, in the north of Eno-land, plate glass is used of nearly £ inch in thickness. It is so difficult to cut through, and requires a work of so much noise, that it is thought to render the use of outside shutters unnecessary, and only curtains are used to keep out light. 158 In référence to Mr. Chaelwick's statements, wehav(»to say that double winelows anel heavy x)ane>s of glass, with a view to saving heat, are wedl aelviseel, but they should be useel in connection with ventilation. If the Windows fit so tiglitly as to exclude the outer air, and tliere» is no other channel for its admission, the arrangement will be dangerous to health and life. A house in which warmth and ventilation are not twin-sisters is unfit for a human habitation. We knew a millionaire who had his house fitteel with double Windows, and his doors plied with we'atlier-strips, but there was no ventilation, which lie consielered a delusion. Ile became an invalid in less than a month, anel in less than three months lie was dead. The Warming and Cooking Question. — Entering inferior dwellings in large English towns, says Mr. Chad- wie'k, a stranger is conimonly assailed by the cess-xiool smell and the wall smell, blendee! with smoke anel the chimney smell. In this respect, the arrangement of some of the cuisines in the model elwellings at the Exhibition, esx:>ecially the cuisine of the ouvriers de Paris, and that of the model from Mulhouse, particularly deserve the atten- tion of English visitors for their tire-places. The cooking- ranges do their work with one-half, and jn'obably one-third, the fuel that is useel in an English cottage. But the one.» from Mulhouse is a marked example of economy of the heat ascending the chimney. Surrounding the stove-flue is placée! a brass bladder, furnished with a tap, which is fil led with water, and kept heated for use by the ascending chim- ney heat. Chimney-Flues.—The form and size of the chimney is considered important in tins connection. In the Emperor's cottages the dimensions of the flues are eight inches by ten, but the exit is only four inches square. At Dresden, Mr. Semper, the architect, found that circular chimneys of little more than five inches serve well for coal fires for the great majority of buildings for which the large parallelograms are commonly in use. By the better adaptation of size» and form, with a better draft of air, and better combustion, less coal is consumed, as well as less soot deposited. Moreover, by the better draft, much of the heavier, offensive and pernicious gases make their escape. For the larger-sized 159 houses flues of eight and a-half inches are used ; and flues of eleven anel a-half inches are founel to answer for kitchen ranges anel revy large establishments. Adjlisting the size of the chimneys so as to remove the heavier coal-gases is one of considérable importance to the» cottage» dwelling. In the Exhibition tliere is a plan of a M. Léon de Sauges, appli- cable apparently to blocks of builelings for laborers, such as those of Mr. Peabody, and of Miss Burdett Coutts, which apjiear to merit attention. He concentrâtes ail the chimney - flues of one house into a smoke-chamber at the top ; from this chamber there is only one exit, The heat accnnmlated in the ediamber is utilized for heating water for the supply of the lower part of the house. In one it was used for warm- ing a elrying-closet, At first considérable difficulty was founel in the working of the plan until the exit-pii)e was made of the same sectional area as the collee-tive flues. One effect of the plan, when properly exécutée!, is to equalize the draft of ail the flues entering into the chamber. Tliere is an iron eloor into the smoking-chamber, by which access is hael at any time to the flues to clean them without the aid of a chimn<»y-sweex>, and also to get at them in case of the soot being fired. The architect déclares that the expense of this chamber is not greater than the unsightly stacks of chimney-pots which it abolishes. In the Exhibition there is one plan, by Mr. Muller, by which, it is stateel, he lias over- come difficulties in concentrating the chimnoy-flues at suc- cessive stages into one main front flue, so as to avoid the occupation of space in carrying up each flue se>x)arately to the top of the buileling. Iron and Earthenware Stoves.—The living-room of the Mulhouse dwelling, says Mr. Chadwick, is warined by a tail cylindrical iron stove, the flue of which is so adjusted as to create a ventilating current of heated air from that to the upper rooms. In respect to warming with the com- mon close stove with iron surfaces, tliere is a sanitary objection which does not attach to warming by earthenware surfaces. The iron surface, as it is commonly expresseel, burns tlie air, and créâtes disagreeable conditions, which arc» ay^preciatcd D7 *ne lunSs anc*- fne nose, but which chemists hâve not yet analyzed. There are in the Exhibi- tion various forms of earthenware-covered stoves and some 1G0 0}>eii fire-places adax^teel to dwe»llingsforlaborers anel others. Some of tlie» forms will be se»e»n in the Austrian départaient, as also in those of Sweden and ÎSrorway. Anie»ricans, accus- tomed at home to warming in winter by iron-heated sur- faces, déclare how much more agreeabh», how Sibérie >r, the air is in Swe»elen and Norway in the rooms warined through earthenware surfaces. On the other hand, the Swiss, who are accustomed to house-warming from pottery stoves, déclare that they find, when they go into some» x>arts of Ger- many, the house-warming by the iron close stoves extremely disagreeable and often unbearable. The effect on health is very important, and an Austrian or Swedish earthenware stove of the <»conomical type in the Exhibition might well be substituted for the iron one used in the Mulhouse dwelling. The Ventilating Question—"Nose Test." —Mr. Chadwick is very sensible in his remarks about the nose test, as a means of elelermining whether a house is perfectly or imperfectly ventilated. This is far préférable», lie says, to any of the known chemical tests. He proposed it to the In- ternational Jury, but could not x>ersuade them to adopt it. He wanted them to put their noses into a sleeping room, early in the morning before the inmates had risen. But the jury would not put their noses to any such base uses. It is wedl, perhaps, that they did not. Mention is maele» of certain tail houses situated on the flats in Edinburgh, and in other large towns, in which the occupants of the basements and attics were attacked with choiera, while those in the intermediate portions of the houses were left untouched. Gen. Morin and Miss Nightingale.—In référence to what Mr. Chadwick terms the backward state- of sanitary science in house construction, he says it is to be observe>d that in a large proportion of instances in the new and largest first-class houses in Paris, the sleeping-rooms of the servants are mère cells, called "coffins," in which the inmates are crowded together in a manner equally destructive to health and morality. In conséquence of the defects of common Systems of ventilation, resort is usually had to ventilation by fixed space ; but sufficient fixée! space can not be obtained for the apartments of the very poor. The Peabody build- ings give only 936 cubic feet for the bed-rooms to be occupied 161 by two people. But General Morin, the highest authority on ventilation, states that the proportions of air, as based upon the results of a large number of experiments by différent observers, required to be supplied per hour is, in ordinary workshops, 2,000 cubic feet (to be kept at 59 deg. Fahren- heit), and for children in schools from 400 to 500 cubic feet. Now this difficulty can only be met by active ventilation by suction, by the flues of fireplaces, and by chimneys pro- vided for the purpose, or by inducing people to sleep with their bed-room Windows open, as Miss Nightingale strongly recommends—putting on additional bed-clothes, as many eminent médical practitioners now do. It is found that in prisons better health is maintained in small cells with quick ventilation, than in large cells with slow ventilation HOME INSURANCE COMPANY—MULTIFORM VENTILATION— CLOSE OF THE YEAR, The close of the year finds us busily engaged in prepar- ing to issue the third édition of our book, which is greatly enlarged, and which is designed to put the people more than ever upon their guard against the baneful influences of poisoned air. We should consider our book incomplète, however, without a report in référence to the ventilation of the Home Insurance Company' s office. What we hâve to say may be regarded as a "twice-told taie," but it is nevertheless full of interest and instruction, so far as fresh air and ventilation are concerned. The office of the Company is at 135 Broadway, New York City. It is devoted to fire insurance, and is the largest institution of the kind, with one exception, in the United States. The président is Charles J. Martin, Esq. It has been in opération seventeen years, and has a capital of $2,000,000. It is located in a spacious building, having a front on Broadway of forty feet, and on Cedar Street of 153 feet. Is is open on ail sides, with large and numerous Windows, which would lead one to suppose that the air within the building would be tolerably pure, but such has not proved to be the fact. The business of the Company is transacted on the first or main floor, where about forty employées may be observed industriously at work. The rear basement underneath this floor is used as a kitchen and dining-room, where dinner is served to the 102 employevs, and also, when occasion requiivs, to the diive- tors and officers. The Company took poss<»ssiem of the building in 1863, and from that time until quite rece»ntly, when we established our ventilation, the e»niploye(»s and officers hâve suffered severely from the poisoneel air. Every- thing pertaining to the business of the establishment during that long period—the making out of policies, the d<»claring of dividends, and last, though not least, the eating of din- ners—has been transacted in an atmosphère surchargea with noxious gases anel other dangerous poisons. Every breath taken has served to convey something more than an infinités- imal dose of those poisons into the lungs, and through the lungs into the blood, to be distributed by the circulation to every part of the System It is only a wonder that any of the employées or officers are alive at this moment. Mr. Martin, the président, who is very sensitive to the influence of foul air, sought relief in various ventilating experiments which were recommended to him by interested parties, but in the results of which he has been more or less disappointed. Thèse multiform experiments we will notice very briefly in the order of their adoption. Experiment No. 1.—This consisted of "ventilating flues," such as we hâve frequently mentioned in this work. There were at least a baker' s dozen of them. They opened in the ceiling of the main room, and were extended to the roof. We need scarcely say that they were useless Experiment No. 2.—In this experiment an additional flue of a large size was employed, being about thirty inches square. It was placed in the centre of the room, and opened like the others in the ceiling. It rendered no service in the process of ventilation. Experiment No. 3.—Most unfortunately for the théories of the architects, neither the big flue nor the little Jlues assisted the ventilation. Under thèse circumstances it was decided to rarify the air in the big flue with jets of burning gas, but this also proved to be a failure. Experiment No. 4.—Abandoning ail hope of ventilation by flues, an experiment of a différent kind was put into réquisition. A stack of steam-pipes, enclosed in a box, was arranged beneath the sill of a window in the main room. The box had an aperture at the bottom on the inside, and 163 another at the top on the opposite side, communicating with the outer air. The steam-pipes being heated, the foul air was expecteel to flow in at the lower aperture, anel make its exit through the upper one into the open air. The device being completed, lighted matches were applied to the lower aperture, but it was found that the currents of air were very irregular ; sometimes they moved upward, some- times downward, and sometimes there were no currents at ail. This was the end of Experiment No. 4. Experiment No. 5.—It was next decided to enter upon a grand experiment upon a somewhat larger scale, which seemeel to hâve unquestionable recommendations, and un- questionable scientific endorsements. In this case the cur- rents of air were to pass downward instead of upward, con- stituting what is termed " ventilation from the floor," or "downward ventilation.' In carrying out the project, a large horizontal air-duct, say 14 x 20 inches, made of wood, was placed immediately beneath the floor of the main room. Diverging from this were smaller horizontal ducts connected with registers in the floor. The large duct, pursuing a zig- zag course, ultimately terminatee! in an air-chamber in the basement, heated by a stove. From the air-chamber a large air-duct ascended to the roof, through which the impure air was to be discharged. The stove being heated—we will not stop to calculate the expense of the fuel, nor the wages of a fireman to watch the stove and keep it in working order—it was supposed that the foul air of the apartment above would flow through the registers in the floor into the diverging air- ducts, and proceed onward through the large air-duct into the air-ediamber. From this chamber—if there was any faith to be put in theoretical surmises or spéculations—the air would inevitably ascend through the Connecting air-duct and make its escape into the atmosphère. While the foul air was to be disposed of in this quiet way—flowing downward through the air-ducts as water would flow through a syxphon—the fresh air was to descend in abundant streams from the roof through the "ventilating flues" al- ready described. However plausible the theory, the venti- lation does not seem to hâve been satisfactory. The Président, in utter hopelessness, and suffering more or less from poisoned air, applied to me for relief, 164 precisely as a drowning man, according to the old adage, will sometimes catch at straws. He told an amusing story of his expérience in ventilation. According to his showing, the foul air which "encompassed him about," was some- thing like a mill-stone, and could not be made to go either up or down. It would not go up through the small " ven- tilating flues," as the architects ail seemed to think it ought to do ; nor through the larger flue in the centre of the main room, even though heated with gas-jets ; nor through the box of steam-pipes under the window-sill, which was a shorter route ; nor downward through the registers in the floor on its way to the stove in the basement. He had lost ail faith in the théories of ventilation, as well he might, and was unwilling, as the représentative of his Company, to pay out any more money for experiments in ventilation unless success should be guaranteed. Not objecting to his skep- ticism, we agreed to ventilate the large room on the first floor of the building in question, measuring 40 by 153 feet, as already stated, in a satisfactory manner, for a sum not exceeding two thousand dollars, or forego compensation. Our proposition being accepted, we proceeded to adjust our ventilating apparatus, which was put in opération December lOth. In référence to the results, Mr. Martin, in a letter dated December 31st, 1869, observes, "Itaffords me pleasure to say that we find a marked and decided improvement in the atmosphère of our office, which is no- ticed not only by the officers and clerks, but also by the directors and others calling in occasionally ; and we are congratulating ourselves that we hâve at length found a remedy for the evil which has" so long annoyed us."* The clerks referred to by Mr. Martin seem to be very decided in their expressions of approbation. They do not now suffer with headache, languor and dépression as they did, and can perforai a larger amount of labor without fatigue or ex- haustion. In entering the main room from the street, the visitor recognizes a peculiar and agreeable freshness in the atmosphère, which makes an exhilerating impression on the sensés, instead of that offensive odor characteristic of a foul and poisoned atmosphère, and which Mr. Chadwick of England, has truthfully termed the "dead man's smell." * See Président Martin "s letters in full, page 173. 165 TESTIMONIALS. HOTELS. Albemarle Hôtel, cor. of Fifth Ave. and Twenty-fourth St., New York. You ask me to say what I think about the Atmospheric Refrigerator. I hâve used both the Meat-House and Chest for the last ten months. It works beautifully, and to my entire satisfaction. In fact, it cornes fully up to your recommendation. I believe it is the only right principle for a Refrigerator. GEORGE D. IVES, Proprietor. Beevooet Hotjse, New York, Jan. 19, 1864. Dear Sir : I hâve had in use your System of ventilating Meat-Chests and Ice- Houses for eight or ten months, and am so much pleased with its opération that I take every opportunity to show and recommend it to my friends, as being the best thing I know of to préserve méats, with the least quantity of ice. ALBERT CLARK, Proprietor. St. Nicholas Hôtel, N. Y., Jan. 21, 1864. Dear Sir : We are well satisfied with our expérience that your mode of ven- tilating Meat-Houses is a decided improvement, and will commend itself for its good preserving qualities and saving of ice, to ail who test it properly. Yours truly, SPOTTS & HAWK. Fifth Ave. Hôtel, New York, Feb. 2, 1865. Mr. H. A. Gotjge : Dear Sir—We take pleasure in assuring you that after a long and thorough trial of your Ventilating Apparatus, we are convinced that it is the very best of the kind extant. Very truly yours, J HITCHCOCK, DARLING & CO. St. James Hôtel, New York, Jan. 19, 1864. Dear Sir : Having thoroughly tested your patent Ice-House, constructed for this hôtel, we cheerfully add our testimony to the many testimonials in its praise, as being, in our opinion, the most perfect and economical of those now in use' It not only préserves the méats, etc., for an indefinite time, but it con- sumes very little ice. Wishing you every success, we remain Very respectfully yours, T. F. WELLS & CO., Proprietors. Beandeth House, New York, Jan. 20, 1864. Dear Sir : We take great pleasure in certifying that we hâve had in use for nearly a year one of your Ice-Houses, erected by you, and which has given us entire satisfaction. We find it to keep Méats, Fish, etc., with the use of a «mi 11 auantitv of ice ; and think it the most economical thing of the kind that can be used in a hôtel. Yours very truly, J. CURTIS & CO. Ï66 Meechants' Hôtel, 41 Cortlandt Street, N. Y., May 8, 1805. Dear Sir: We hâve had in use the large Meat-House you constructed for this Hôtel now about one year ; it has given us entire satisfaction. The ventila- tion seems to be perfect. Yours, etc., CLARKE & SCHENCK. Western Hôtel, 9 Cortlandt Street, N. Y., May 6, 1865. Dear Sir: The Atmospheric Meat-House which you constructed for this hôtel has now been in use for about one year, and has given entire satisfaction. I know of no other System of Ventilating which is effectuai ; your plan ap- pears as perfect as it is simple. D. D. WINCHESTER. Belmont Hôtel, 133 to 137 Fulton St., N. Y., May 9, 1865. Mr. H. A. Gouge : Dear Sir—The Ventilating Apparatus put up by you in my dining-room about four months ago is a complète success. I am very much pleased with its opération. The room has been greatly improved by it. The principle is undoubtedly correct. Yours respectfully, • J. P. RICHARDS. PRIVATE HOUSES. This certifies that I hâve used your Atmospheric Refrigerator during the last nine months, and I can truly say that it surpasses ail methods that hâve been in use for preserving in an edible condition whatever may be placed with- in it. In fact, I believe it cornes fully up to the claims of the inventor. SAM'L S. GUY, M.D., 181 Fort Greene Place, Brooklyn, N.Y. The Refrigerator you sent me last season has proved to be ail you claim for it. I think it surpasses your modest recommendations as the correct method for preserving Méat and Fish, (raw and cooked), Fruit and Vegetables ; and I hâve no doubt but you will find that this will soon supersecle ail other Refriger- ators in use. WILLIAM H. SMITH, 42 West Jersey St., Elizabeth, N. j. I take pleasure in recommending your improved principle for Refrigerators, as the most scientific and perfect yet offered to the public. The one which you introduced into my house about a year ago has never failed to accomplish ail that you promised for it. Yours, JOHN D. ASCOUGH, 171 West llth St., New York. We hâve used the Atmospheric Refrigerator in our family for the last year. I believe it to be the best Refrigerator in the world, and I can't conceive how it can be more. perfect, We place ail articles of food in it with Sweet Butter, etc., and wehave none of the expérience that I hâve had with other Refrigera- tors. You hâve conceived a plan that will surpass ail others, without doubt. Yours, JOSEPH SCOTT, Silver Plater. No. 70 John St., New York, and 24 Butler St., Brooklyn. PROVISION HOUSES. Mr. H. A. Gouge : The Ventilating Apparatus you put up for me works to my entire satisfaction. I think I bave given it as severe a test as it can be pos- sibly put to. My cooling-rooms (25 x 50) which were in my cellar and sub-cel- lar, were in a very bad condition—foul and damp—so much so it was very unhealthy for men, water constantly dropping from the ceiling. Since I hâve had your Apparatus there are no signs of dampness ; the atmosphère is perfect- ly dry and pure ; hâve not had a man complain of sickness. My pork cures aa well in summer as in a winter atmosphère of 38 or 39 degrees. Your invention has been very valuable to me, and I cheerfully recommend it to Pork Packers, But chers, etc., as the best thing I am acquainted with for the purpose HENRY SILVERHORN, Pork Packer, 92 Christie St, N Y 167 New Yoek, 152 West Street, Jan. 31, 1864. Mr. H. A. Gouge : Dear Sir—Some few months ago we were at a loss to know what kind of an Ice House to put in our Packing House, which we were then fitting up, when you came to us and proposed to put up your Ventilating Chili Rooms, and not to charge us a cent if they did not work well. We are happy to say that they did ail you claimed for them, to our perfect satisfaction. A cold, dry, pure air, such as cannot be got in any other ice house. Yours truly, D. & W. H. MILLEMAN, 152 West Street. Brooklyn, New York, Jan. 29, 1864. Dear Sir : About one year ago, as an experiment, we had your Ventilating Apparatus applied to one of our Cooling Rooms, at our Packing House in Ray- mond Street. We are now satisfied with its utility enough to hâve it applied to ail of our rooms, We believe it makes a perfect ventilation. Very respectfully, JOSEPH LOCKITT & CO. BUTCHERS' MEAT HOUSES. New-Yoek, Jan. 27, 1864. Dear Sir : I hâve had in use the Atmospheric Méat House you built for me, now about one year, through an unusually hot summer, and ice of the poorest quality. I can say that it has given me entire satisfaction, and, as I tell my friends, I never paid for any thing that gave me so much real pleasure. I cheer- fully recommencl it to butchers and families as the best Refrigerator that I am acquainted with. Yours,etc., DAN'L F. FERNALD. Union Market, Tillary, cor. Fulton St., Brooklyn, New York. The Méat House you built for me last June suits me în every particular. The ventilation is so perfect, the air within is always perfectly pure and dry, free from sweat or moisture of any kind. I can hang méat up in this house with the animal heat in it, and it will cure as perfectly as in a winter atmosphère of S8 to 40 degrees. With my expérience, I conceive it to be the most useful in- vention of the âge for the purpose. I cheerfully recommend it to the trade generally. Wishing you every success, yours respectfully CHARLES W. CONWAY, Butcher, 275 3d Ave., N. Y. This is to certify that I hâve used in my business the Atmospheric Mea House for the last nine months, and will say that it works to my entire satisfac tion, both summer and winter. I hâve experimented with it, particularly as to its quality of preserving Fruit, and am satisfied for this purpose it can't be beat. I believe this Méat House is the best thing ever used for the purpose. D. TILTON, Dealer in Poultry and Game, No. 12 Franklin Market, and 74 & 76 Tompkins Market, New York. 444 Sixth Avenue, New York, Jan. 23, 1864. Dear Sir : I hâve great pleasure in bearing testimony to the very superior System adopteel by you of ventilating Méat Chests and Ice Houses. I hâve now tried your plan some time, and it, gives me great satisfaction in saying that it is far superior to any others, and I shall consider it to be my duty to recommend its adoption to my friends. I am, dear sir, yours respectfully, V JOSEPH COLWELL. May 6, 1865. Mr. H. A. Gouge : Dear Sir—The Ventilating Apparatus put up by you in my shop about one year ago is a complète success ; I hâve kept Méats in it during the summer months for four weeks without taint or change of color, and did not lose a pound of méat during the entire season. I would not do without it for ten times its cost. B. JOACHIM, 48 Greenwich Street, N.Y. 168 Nos. 29 and 30 Fulton Market, New York, May 10, 1865. Mr. H. A. Gouge : Dear Sir—Please make for me another of your Ventila- ting Méat Houses, 6 by 10, 8 ft. high, in sections, so that it can be shipped in the hold of a vessel. I want it as soon as possible. Those which you made for me last season, and which were shipped to the West Indies, hâve given com- plète satisfaction. CHARLES COOPER. SCHOOL VENTILATION. U. S. Christian Commission for the Armt and Navy, ) New Yoek Committee, No. 30 Bible House, ;- New York, Dec. 10, 1866. ) H. A. Gouge, Esq. : Dear Sir—During the eighteen years of my officiai con- nection with the largest Public Schools in New England, it was ont* of my du- ties to give much attention to the ventilation of School Buildings, some of which contained between six and eight hundred pupils. For years, I hâve carefully observed the practical working of the more pop- ular Systems of ventilating public buildings, and I am free to say, I consider your method of producing good ventilation the best now before tbe public. The constant force created in the ventilating flues by means of artificial heat at their base causes a uniform current of vitiated air to ascend in the flues, whether the atmosphère outside is hot or cold, in motion or at rest. By varying the number and size of the flues, and the amount of combustion in them, your principle of ventilation is equally applicable to the smallest rooms and to the largest halls. Your success in ventilating in a satisfactory manner cellars, basements, churches, and large halls where other plans hâve failed, is the best évidence of the value of your System of ventilation. Very respectfully yours, etc., NATHAN BISHOP. Charlier Institute, English and French School foe Young Gentlemen,) No. 48 East Twenty-fourth St., New York, Dec. 11, 1866. J For many years I tried différent means of ventilation. Having many school-rooms without chimneys in which common ventilators were insufficient, so that the atmosphère was oppressive when a large number of pupils were congregated, I finally concluded to incur the expense attending the introduction of Mr. Gouge's apparatus. I hâve watched it closely. I believe its philosophical principle correct, and the results are certainly highly satisfactory, as much so probably as can be reached in a large school. I found it particularly useful in heavy, damp weather. ELIE CHARLIER. Collegiate Academy, 695 Sixth Ave., N. Y., Jan. 22, 1867. Heney A. Gouge, Esq. : Dear Sir—For many years I tried in vain to secure thorough ventilation of my school-rooms. Last Fall I met with one of your circulars, and was sufficiently convinced to try your patent. It has proved a perfect success. With nearly three times as many pupils in the room as before, the air is always fresh and pure. I am but doing my duty to the public in eamestly recommending your Ventilator. Yours truly, S. A. FARRAND. Boaed of Education, corner Grand and Elm Streets,) New York, April, 1867. j H. A. Gouge, Esq. : Dear Sir—In the daily discharge of my duties as Engi- neer of the Board of Education of the city of New York, I hâve heard fréquent complaints of the bad ventilation of Public School-rooms. In order to remove the eauses of thèse complaints, I hâve examined with care the more popular Systems of ventilation in this country and in Europe, and am convinced yours is superior to any that I hâve seen. This opinion is founded on actual trial of your ventilating apparatus. A few months ago, our Committee on Warming and Ventilating directed me to hâve it put into three of the worst ventilated school-rooms under my 169 supervision ; and since the work was done, thèse rooms, though crowded with scholars, hâve been well ventilated, and the experiment is a complète success. Very respectfully yours, JOHN DUNHAM, Engineer to tlie Board of Education of New York. New York, 900 Broadway, Oct. 1, 1868. I certify with pleasure that Mr. H. A. Gouge's ventilation has been used for one year in my school, and has given much satisfaction. I know of nothing better. JOHN McMULLEN. TESTIMONIAL OF GENERAL HOWARD. Bureau Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, ) Headquarters Ass't Com., D. C, Washington, April 10, 1867. ) H. A. Gouge, Esq. : Dear Sir—Having had your Ventilating Apparatus in- troduced into the building for the Home for Colored Orphans in this District, I take pleasure in bearing testimony to its superior nierits for the purposes for which it was designed. From the simplicity of the mechanism I judge that it will not easily get out of repair. The material of which it is made is durable. It occupies little space in the building. From thèse considérations, and especially from its adaptation to the end in view, namely, a perfect ventilation of the apartments, I regard it the best apparatus of the kind I hâve yet exam- ined. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. H. HOWARD, Brev. Brig.-Gen., Ass't Coms., D. C. TESTIMONIAL OF AN ARCHITECT. 153 Broadway, New York, June 30, 1866. Mr. H. A. Gouge : Dear Sir—I hâve used your tubes suppliée! with artificial heat for the purpose of creating an upward current of air from a room insuffi- ciently ventilated, and they answered the purpose. Your adjustment is founded upon natural and practical principles, and I consider it economical. Yours respectfully, JOHN W. RITCH. MISCELLANEOUS. Washington, December 20, 1865. Me. Gay : There has been in opération in the Post Office in this city one of Gouge's Ventilators for the past two months. It was put in for the purpose of ventilating the basement in which are stored the mail-bags and pouches, from which a supply for other offices is drawn. Before the Ventilator was put up, the air in the room was damp and impure, so much so as to be veiy disagreeable and unhealthy to persons remaining in it any length of time ; and the leather pouches would be covered with mould and the sacks and bags with mildew. The Ventilator has removed both the bad air and the dampness, and a person can discover no différence in the air from that in the rooms above. The pouches and bags are now perfectly dry, and we think the Ventilator has already saved to the Department double its cost in preventmg ^ïtwas put up as an experiment, to be paid for if it succeeded. We would not hâve it removed for any considération whatever. I think it will be very generally adopted in this city. ^ S. J. BOWEN, Postmaster. Post-Office, Washington, D. C, June 16, 1866. Henry A Gouge, Esq. : Dear Sir—We hâve had in opération, in this office, of your Ventilators for eight months past. It was put in for the purpose of 170 ventilating the basement of the office, in which are stored the mail-bags and pouches, from -which a supply for other offices is drawn. The effect of the Ventilator has been to render the basement, which was extremely damp before, perfectly dry, and to change the air, which appears now to be as pure as in the rooms above. Many persons hâve visited the rooms to see the opération of the machine, and ail hâve expressed themselves delighted with it, and it lias saved to the department more than its original cost by preventing mildew and mould from collecting on the mail-bags. I can recommend its adoption by ail wishing good ventilation by a cheap and simple apparatus—one that will not fail to effect the required object. The statement made in my letter to Mr. Gay, in December last, in référence to the opérations of the Ventilator, hâve been more than confirmed by the further trial of eight months. Truly yours, etc., S. J. BOWEN, Postmaster. I visited the City Post-Office purposely to see and examine the Ventilator spoken of above, and observe its effects, and I hâve never seen more perfect ventilation than has been effected by its use. B. B. FRENCH, Commlssioner of Public Board. Office of the Tribune, New York, February 9, 1865. Mr. H. A. Gouge : Dear Sir—I cheerfully testify to the efficiency of the Ventilators put up by you in our Editorial Rooms. The principle is unques- tionably correct. In the disconnected outer room, where ventilation was most needed, the success is perfect. Your ob't servant, S. H. GAY. New York, February 9, 1865. Me. H. A. Gouge : Dear Sir—I hâve your Ventilating Apparatus in use at my house and stable. Its opération is perfectly satisfactory, and I am so much pleased with it that I cheerfully recommend it to the public. "Yours etc. PAEAN STEVENS, 238 Fifth Avenue. Me. H. A. Gouge : It gives me great pleasure to furnish you with my opinion as to the merits of your " Ice Closet," based upon six months expérience of the one in use at the "Ladies' Kitchen," McDougall Hospital. It is certainly a most admirable invention, enabling us to keep in perfect préservation, eluring the unusual heat of the past summer, Milk, Poultry, Méats, Fruits, Vegetables, etc., with, as I hâve frequently heard the steward remark, a very economical consumption of ice. MRS. G. S. ROBBINS, 15 West Seventeenth Street, New York. New York, February 4, 1864. Dear Sir : The large cooling room you built for this place about a year ago, I am glad to say gives me great satisfaction. I believe it does ail you promised. Your mode of lighting anel ventilating thèse rooms is perfect. Yours, etc., J. H. CROOK, 39 and 40 Park Row. Chambeelain's Office, Broadway Bank, ) New York, March 23, 1866. J S. H. Gay, Esq.: Dear Sir—I hâve now had " Gouge's Ventilator," which you recommended to me, in use in my stables for several months, and it gives me great pleasure to state that, in my judgment, it is decidcly the most perfect ventilator yet invented. Very resp'y yours, DANL. DEVLIN. Office of the Commissionees of Emigration, ) Castle Garden, New York, June 27, 1866.) We hâve in use, in this office, two of Gouge's Ventilators. I hâve no hésita- tion in saying that they hâve proved effective, and that our office is relieved of 171 the foul air, which was so unhealthy and disagreeable. The principle is un- cloubtedly correct, and his mode of adapting it to gênerai use is simple and B. CASSERLY, General Agent, Com. Sup. of Emigration, State of New York. Office of R. Hoe & Co., Printing Press, Machine and Saw Manufacturer,) 29 and 31 Gold Street, New York, June 27, 1866.]" We hâve recently put in one of Mr. Gouge's Ventilators, and find its opéra- tion very satisfactory. The principle he adopts we believe to be veiy correct, and he applies it in a simple manner, producing the desired effeet. R.HOE, &C0. 51 East Twenty-thied Steeet, June 28, 1866. Me. H. A. Gouge : Dear Sir—The Ventilating Apparatus, as well as the Re- frigerator, which you placed in my bouse last fall, hâve proved so entirely satis- factory that I recommend ail my friends, who are building or altering their houses, to introduce both, and it gives me much pleasure to hear that your orders are rapidly increasing. Very truly yoursj J. AUGUSTUS HAMILTON. Office of the Teibune, New York, June 30, 1866. We hâve, for several years, used Mr. Gouge's Ventilators, and bave found them exceedingly bénéficiai in ventilating our vaults, press-room, and other rooms. They bave worked to our entire satisfaction The Tribune Association. SAMUEL SINCLAIR, Publisher. I also introduced one into a milk-room in my farm-house, where I could not keep milk last year, and it has enabled me to keep the milk, etc., entirely sweet. S. S. The Brooklyn Daily Union, No. 10 Front Street, Dec. 6, 1866. I know Mr. Gouge's System of ventilation to be capable of producing ex- cellent results, and I am personally indebted to him for having rendered com- fortable and healthy, a close room, packed in summer with dense, noxious air, and in winter with dampness. I believe the System to comprise the practical application of the most advanced principles of ventilation ; and is successful wherever I hâve seen it applied. Mr. Gouge himself is a gentleman of integrity and high standing. EDWARD CAREY, Editer Union. Ventilation of Latimer Hall, Brooklyn, New York. I proposed to appropriate my hall fer the gênerai requirements of balls, re- ligious, social, and political meetings. I hâve received more than auticipated patronage, but continuai complaints were maele to me of the objectionable heat, etc. of the hall when only partially filled. It further occurred to me that, when the hall was packed to its fullest capacity, a serious interférence with the comf ort of the audience was visible, and the orchestra in particular (which is in an elevated gallery) was so insufferably hot and unpleasant that the musicians, much to the diminution of their usefulness, were obliged to be removed to the floor of the hall. After as many expédients as any reasonable man could be expected to make, and each in succession alike failing to render even a partial relief I applied to Mr. Gouge. His apparatus was put up, since which my pa- trons'hâve been more than satisfied, and the musicians agrée that the orchestra gallery, heretofore unendurable, is now continually cool and relieved from offensive effluvia. I am iustified in recommending Gouge s apparatus for similar purposes. Brooklyn, Dec. 12, 1866. J. G. LATIMER. 172 STEAM-PIPE VENTILATION USELESS. Office of the Artio Fire Insueance Company, > 104 Broadway, New York, August 27th, 1869.) Henry A. Gouge, Esq.—Dear Sir : The ventilating apparatus introduced by you into our office, occupying the large basement of the above named build- ing, does its work perfectly and to our entire satisfaction. Previously, an attempt at ventilation had been made by introducing steampipes into flues from the basement opening into the atmosphère at the top of the building, with the expectation that the heated pipes would rarify the air in the flues, and thereby cause an ascending current which would carry off the foul air from our office. They were introduced evidently at great expense, and were a total failure. _ My own health, and also that of our Secretary and employées, suffered senously, and the foul and impure atmosphère of our office was a subject of daily remark by our Directors and others visiting us. Since you introduced your Atmospheric Ventilating Apparatus the air has been sweet and wholesome, and entirely free from bad odors. None of us now suffer from headache, or the lassitude and sickly feeling which always results from breathing foul air. We cheerfully recommend the adoption of your apparatus by others situated as we are. Yours, etc., V. TILYOU, Président. VENTILATION IN CHICAGO. City Comptrollee's Offioe, Chicago, May 21st, 1869. One of Gouge's Atmospheric Ventilators was placed in this office some weeks smce, and I take pleasure in certifying to its satisfactory and successful opération, and cheerfully recommend its use for badly ventilated rooms or buildings. WALTER KLMBALL, City Comptroller. Clifton Springs Watee Cube, ) Clifton Speings, N.Y., Oct. 23, 1868.) HA. Gouge, Esq.—Dear Sir : We hâve used your Atmospheric Ventilator to ventilate our bath-rpoms and water-closets now about three months, and are happy to report that it is a success. We hâve tried various modes for venti- lating thèse rooms, but hâve never succeeded until now. Thèse rooms, in spite o± ail our efforts, would become very foul, but now the air is reasonably pure. I am convinced that nothing but forced ventilation will answer the purpose in such apartments. Yours is the cheapest and most economical System of forced ventilation with which I am acquainted. It is perfectly philosophical and thorough m its work. I can most cheerfully recommend it as the best system yetinvented. Very truly yours, y HENRY FOSTER, M.D. Public School No. 19, Brooklyn, Nov. 24, 1869. Henry A. Gouge, Esq.—Dear Sir: You ask me how the new Ventilating Apparatus works which you put in for us last spring, and what I think of it! 1 answer, it works well, and accomplishes ail you promised for it. It seems to be constructed upon strictly philosophical principles, and I hope to see it go mto gênerai use. Very truly yours, T. W. VALENTINE, Principal. 173 VENTILATION FROM THE FLOOR.* Home Insurance Company, Office, No. 135 Broadway,) New York, 24th December, 1869. ) H. A. Gouge, Esq.—Dear Sir : In answer to your inquiry in regard to the effect produced upon the atmosphère of our office by the récent introduction of your Ventilating Apparatus, I can only say that, so far as we are yet able to judge, it is favorable, and we are greatly encouraged to believe that it will prove an entire success. From the brief period it has been in opération, I am unable now to express as unqualified and decided opinion as I hope to be able to do after a little further opportunity to observe the effect. Yours truly, CHAS. J. MARTIN, Président. Home Insurance Company, Office, No. 135 Broadway, ) New Yoek, 31st December, 1869. ) H. A. Gouge, Esq.—Dear Sir : After another week's expérience of the effect produced upon the atmosphère of our office by the introduction of your Ventilating Apparatus, it afford s me pleasure to be able to say that we find a marked and decided improvement, which is noticed not only by the officers and clerks, but also by directors and others who are in occasionally, and we are con- gratulating ourselves that we hâve at length found a remedy for the evil which has so long annoyed us. Yours truly, CHAS. J. MARTIN, Président. * See Explanations, page 163. REFERENCES. SEE TESTIMONIALS FOLLOWING REFERENCES. HITCHCOCK, DARLING & CO.,...........................Fifth Avenue Hôtel, New York. ALBERT CLARK, Esq.,.............................Proprietor Brevoort House, » PARAN STEVENS, Esq.,......................................244 Fifth Avenue, » S. H. GA Y, Esq., ..............................................Editor of New York Tribune. J. A. HAMILTON, Esq.,......................................46 Exchange Place, New York. A. B. DARLING, Esq.,.......................................4° "N'est 23a Street, » SAMUEL SINCLAIR, Esq.,.................................Publisher of New York Tribune, Mrs. G. S. ROBBINS,............................No. 17 West Seventeenth Street, New York. JAMES H. BANKER, Esq.,....................................Président Bank of New York. Hon. Judge HENRY HILTON............................222 Madison Avenue, » DANIEL DEYLIN, Esq.,......................................City Chamberlain, » Hon. WM. DENNISON,..............................Postmaster-General, Washington City. GEORGE RIGGS, Esq.,............................................Banker, » JAY COOKE & CO.,................................................................Bankers. Hon. S. J. BOWEN,..................Formerly Postmaster, now Mayor of Washington City. THOMAS McELRATH, Esq.,..............................8 Washington Place, New York. BREEDEN & SOUTHWICK,.................................109 Liberty Street, JOHN MACMULLEN, Esq.,........Private School for Boys, No. 900 Broadway, S. 'D. BABCOCK. Esq.......................Firm of Babcock Brothers, Bankers, MARTIN BATES, Esq.,............................................51 Broadway, CHARLES A. MEIGS, Esq.,............................Banker, Exchange Place, JAMES S. E'LTON, Esq.,.................Secretary Waterbury Brass Co., Waterbury, Conn. EDWARD SHULZE, Esq.,................................No. 23 William Street, New York. LYMAN FISK, Esq.,..............................................Stevens House, » A. McKINNEY, Esq.,..............................................121 Beacon Street, Boston. J. P. RICHARDS, Esq.,...........................................Belmont Hôtel, New York. Cai-t. R. W. MEADE,................................United States Navy, Washington, D. C. D. D. WIN'CHESTER, Esq.,.....................................Western Hôtel, New York. CLARK & SCIIENCK,........................................Merchants' Hôtel, » JOHN W. RITCH, Esq.,................................Architect, 153 Broadway, » WM. FIELD & SON,...................................Architects, 54 Wall Street, » WILLIAM B. DITMARS, Esq.,.....................Architect, 18 South 7th Street, Brooklyn. CHARLES COOPER, Esq.,.......................................Fulton Market, New York. CHARLES SCHEDLER, Esq.,...............................24 Broad Street, » COURT HOUSE, COUNTY OF ESSEX.............................. Newark, New Jersey. ADOLPH HAMPE, Esq.,......................................6 Hanov.er Street, New York. CLARK & SON,...........................................115 Washington Street, » B. CASSERLY, Esq.,......General Superintendent Commissioners of Emigration, » McPHERSON SMITH & | _, , „. . ot. C4. t „ „,,TrT,TT ^ r.......................Brewers, 160 West i8th Street, » DONALD SMITH, Esqs., J ' J AM ES E. COULTER, Esq.,...............................Warden City Prison, » ELIE CHARLIER, Esq.,....... ....................Charlier Institute, 24A Street, » Rev. S. A. FARRAND.........................................695 Sixth Avenue, » E. V. HAUGHWOUT, Esq., ........................Cor. Broome and Broadway, » SAMUEL RAYNOR & CO.,........................Nos. 115 & 117 William Street, » JOHN HAYS, Esq., Chairman Warming & Ventilating Com., Board of Education, n Majoe-Gen. O. O. HOWARD, U. S. A..................................... Washington, D.C. P. ROESSLE & SON,....................................Proprietors Delevan House, Albany. RITCH & GRIFFITHS,................................Architects, 153 Broadway, New York. ROBERT S. HONE, Esq.,...............Président Republic Insurance Company, » HORACE H. DAY, Esq.,....................................23 Cortlandt Street, n Hon. HORACE GREELEY,..........................Editor New York Tribune, n 175 EDWARD CARY, Esq.,..............................................Editor Brooklyn Union. SPRINGFIELD SAYINGS BANK.........................................Springfield, Mass. DAVIS & CO.,...................................Cor. Walker Street & Broadway, New York. PLYMOUTH SABBATH SCHOOL ROOM (Henry Ward Beecher's),.............Brooklyn. R. W. RAYMOND, Esq.,.............: .Superintendent Plymouth Sabbath School, « JOHN G. LATIMER, Esq.,.........................Propnetor of Latimer's Hall, » WM. B. JONES, Esq., Supt. Lafayette Av. Mission (Dr. Cuyler's), Cumberland St., * P. B. ROBERTS, Esq.,..........................................228 Fifth Avenue, New York. Brigadier-Gen. C. H. HOWARD, U. S. A.,................................Washington, D. C. B. B. FRENCH, Esq.,..................Commissioner of Public Buildings, » H. D. COOK, Esq.,...............................Firm of Jay Cook & Co., » ISAAC BELL, Esq.,.......Prest. Commission of Public Charities and Correction, New York. JOHN E. WILLIAMS, Esq.,........................Président Metropolitan Bank, » A. V. STOUT, Esq.,..............................Président Shoe and Leather Bank » BENJAMIN R. WINTHROP, Esq,..........Président Deaf and Dumb Asylum, » H. W. MEEKER, Esq.,...........................Cashier of Bank of New York, » C. H. LOUTREL, Esq.,............Firm of Francis & Loutrel, 45 Maiden Lane, » NATHAN BISHOP, LL.D.,...................................11 East 24th Street, » ROBERT HOE & CO.,.............................................29 Gold Street, » ROBERT HOE, Jr., Esq,....................................43 West 32d Street, w PETER S. HOE, Esq.,...............Firm of Robert Hoe & Co., 29 Gold Street, » JOHN DUNHAM, Esq.,.....................Engineer of the Board of Education, » W. E. DODGE, Esq.,..................Firm of Phelps, Dodge & Co., Cliff Street, » CAL VARY BAPTIST CHURCH,........................No. s West 23d Street, » MONROE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,...............................Brooklyn. JOHN HOUSTON, Esq.,................................Engineer, Erie Railroad, New York. C. E. DOUGLASS,..............................170 Fifth Avenue, cor. 22d Street, » DENNISTOUN & CO.,.........................Bankers, No. 18 Exchange Place, « ACKERT & QUICK..........................................Builders, Yonkers, » FISK & HATCH..................................Bankers, No. 5 Nassau Street, » WM. H.JACKSON & CO.,.........................................Union Square, » SPOTTS & HAWK,...........................................St- Nicholas Hôtel, « D. C. SELLER, Esq., Firm of Messrs. Dennnistoun & Co., No. 18 Exchange Place, » SAMUEL D. BROOKS, M.D.,.......Supt. and Physician N. Y. Juvénile Asylum, » GRIFFITH THOMAS, Esq........................Architect, No. 470 Broadway, » MOSHER & REED,.............................................St. Denis Hôtel, » C H. CHEEVER, Esq.,.........................................89 Fifth Avenue, » WALTER BROWN, Esq..............................................Newburgh, » CAPE, CULVER & CO.............................Nos. 16 & 18 Léonard Street, » F. A. FERRIS & CO.,...................................No. 2Ô3 Broome Street, » ARNOLD, CONSTABLE & CO.,................................307 Canal Street, » WM H. WARNER, Esq.,...................................No. 3 Murray Street, WM. A. BUTLER, Esq.,.................................................Yonkers, SYMONS & HAYENS,....................................................Market Brooklyn. MIDDLETON & CO...................................Shippers, Exchange Place, New York. R W. MILBANK, Esq.,......................................No. 82 Front Street, » HENRY D. ROLPH, Esq.,...................................••■.....-f Bowery, » ALLAN C. WASHINGTON, Esq.,..........................No. 30 Pme Street, „ JAMES ROBINSON, Esq.,.............................v" w"» "îfS C H RAMSON Esq ...............................No. 11 West 25th Street, » PTTMRFRT AND MIcSION SCHOOL.........(Dr. Cuyler's), Cumberland Street, Brooklyn. ?nT?TN PALMER ÈsQ ......Assist. Superintendent Plymouth Sabbath School, „ mSEM LOcfe & CO.,....................P°* Packers> R»*»-0-* Street> " L ï WM HSeMAn!.................. « » «■ W«t Street, New York. JOSEPH COLWELLE ................ . . ^.^J^ EM" mtStÏq.....................................132 Fulton Street, New York. f JvFRPOOL & LONDON' & GLOBE INS. COMPANY,.....45 William Street, » LIVERPOOE & UJi .....................Brewer, Brooklyn, E.D. JOHN SCHNEIDER Esq.,...........••••■•.........^ Exchange Place, New York. ^Rgb'IS?chS^;-^:;.v.'.'.....,....................:.....«.b^,^^ ubUK^T ' . .Director Board of Freeholders, New Brunswick, N J. DRSHENRYSFOSTËR,'^^.....................................Clifton Springs, New York. 176 WALTER KIMBALL, Esq.,...............................City Comptroller, Chicago, Illinois. JOSEPH M. MOORE, Esq.,............................Comptroller's Office, » » VINCENT TILYOU, Esq.,.........................Pres't Arctic Insurance Co., New York. A. S. HATCH, Esq.,......................................Banker (Fisk & Hatch), » W. B. HATCH, Esq.,.........Firm of Fairbanks & Co., Scales, 253 Broadway, n W. P. DOUGLAS, Esq.............................................Yacht Sappho, » MORGAN & SONS,.................................... Bankers, William Street, » WM. PATON, Esq.,...................................Importer, 345 Broadway, » PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, corner of Fifth Avenue & igth Street, (Dr. Hall's), » UNION CLUB ROOMS.....................Corner of 2ist Street & sth Avenue, » PARKER HAND Y, Esq.,.....Vice-Pres't Third National Bank, 29 Pine Street, » NORTH ADAMS NATIONAL BANK,................................North Adams, Mass. JOHN L. FLAGG,Esq...........................................................Troy.N.Yi CHRISTIAN CHURCH,............................28th Street, near Broadway, New York. WM. E. DODGE, Jr., Esq.,................Firm Phelps, Dodge&Co., Clin" Street, » NEW BRUNSWICK COURT HOUSE,....................New Brunswick, New Jersey. EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE CO.,........................................New York. H. B. HYDE, Esq.,................Vice-Président Equitable Life Insurance Co., » GEO. S. ALLAN,........................................No. 20 Mansfield Place, » H. K. BROWN,...............................................Sculptor, Newburgh, » MAGNUS GROSS.....Chairman of Com. on Hygienics, etc., Board of Education, New York. WM. HITCHMAN, Esq................................Clerk Board of Education, » GEORGE S. NICHOLS, Esq......................................548 Broadway, » WM. W. SHERMAN, Esq__Firm of Duncan and Sherman, No. 9 Nassau Street, » Professor CHARLES E. DAVIS..................................Poughkeepsie, » D. L. NORTHRUP, Esq............................Trustée School No. 19, Brooklyn, E. D. J. S. BURR, Esq__Chairman Com. Warming and Ventilation. Brooklyn Board of Education. Hon. WM. B. ORTON__Président West'n Union Tel. Company, 145 Broadway, New York. J AS. D. RE1D, Esq....................Editor Journal of Telegraph, 145 Broadway, » J. C. HINCHMAN, Esq......Superintendent Metropolitan District Western Union Telegraph. GRISWOLD GRAY, Esq., Président Union Club, Corner of Fifth Ave. & 2ist St., New York. MELLEN & WILCOX........................................158 Chatham Street, » S. D. HATCH, Esq.......................................Architect, 271 Broadway, » JOHN BLOODGOOD & CO...........................Banker, 22 William Street, » J. E. MILLER & CO................................Glenham Hôtel, Fifth Avenue, » WM. F. ALLEN, Esq.........................................Comptroller State of New York. C. J. MARTIN, Esq....................Président Home Insurance Co., Broadway, » GERMAN SAVINGS BANK.........................100 East Fourteenth Street, » P. BESSINGER, Esq......................................Président of German Savings Bank. WM. VALENTINE, Esq............................Principal School No. 19, Brooklyn, E. D. CARTER & HAWLEY.........................................140 Pearl Street, New York. SHOE & LEATHER BANK.......................................271 Broadway, » WM. ROBERTS...........................................................Architect, Newark. GEO. PLATT......................................Architect, 329 Fourth Avenue, New York. SHEPHERD KNAPP, Esq.........Président of the Mechanics' Bank, Wall Street, » HOME INSURANCE COMPANY................................135 Broadway, t, GRINNELL, MENTURN & CO..................................78 South Street, » ■ -5 l ; 'H i •■ i ; i . , ii H I