6o2 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



window was slightly raised the opening would ouly be where the two 

 sashes averlap, and the admitted air thus thi'own upward, originated 

 Mr. Tohiii's principle of getting tlie admitted air diffused in the upper 

 part of the i-oom ; and that whoever did this in a room, with apparently 

 no prearranged outlet, first realized the process known by the name 

 of "Tobination." 



We believe it was Sydney Smith who declared that if any one in 

 London should stare continuously for a few minutes at the clouds he 

 would be forthwith surrounded by a crowd of gazers, no one knowing 

 why he gazed, intently interested in nothing, and quite unaware that 

 the secret of his sympathy was the inspiration that makes the plough- 

 man whistle want of thought. For ourselves we do not undervalue 

 this gregarious vacuous tendency. First catch your hare, says good 

 Mrs. Glass, as the initiatory step to cook it. Fii-st secure your audi- 

 ence in this matter, as the absolutely necessary preliminary to con- 

 vince the understanding and stimulate to action. The excitement and 

 satisfaction felt at the recommendation of a mode of ventilation, be- 

 cause perfectly simple and thoroughly efficacious, and yet so obviously 

 similar in its results to window-ventilation, we are disj^osed to hail as 

 an encouraging symjitom, although such satisfaction seems wonder- 

 fully like that felt by good King George when he adopted the simple 

 expedient, xmder advice^ of shutting his movith to keep out the dust and 

 dead flies on a windy day ! 



If the sanction of I'oyalty helped to promote so proper a mode of 

 excluding dust and insects, so^ similarly, a report upon " Tobination," 

 signed by six peers and gentlemen, and published in the Times on 

 May 16th, may help to recommend the admission of fresh air as a use- 

 ful method of ventilation. The phenomena attested are certainly sui- 

 pi'ising in their concurrence, and we cannot but regi'et that these noble- 

 men and others did not simply state their opinion, which every one 

 would resjDectj without assigning proofs which most persons must 

 question. "Nae plea is best," say the cautious Scotch, and we are 

 further reminded of the dictum of a wise old friend, " My reasons 

 may be all wrong, but I know that my conclusion is quite right." 

 Now, if the report had simply attested the fact that at a certain time 

 the atmospheric condition of the ward was good, this would have 

 been " nae plea," and best ; for the raison d'etre of the said good 

 atmospheric condition seems to us to be contradictory. What the 

 said six found they thus describe : 



" In the ward of St. George's Hospital ventilated by Mr. Tobin's pipes we 

 found the following phenomena : 



1. Pure air agreeable to breathe. 



2. Absolute equality of temperature at every level of the room, in which 

 gas had been burnt for some time. 



3. Freedom from all draught of air. "With a lighted taper we could detect 

 no current in any portion of the room." 



