134 Dr, R. Druitt, [May 6, 



rubbish, road scrapings, mud, and refuse, mixed with organic debris ; 

 and over this the houses are built. Besides, the excavation of sweet 

 wholesome gravel, and the filling in the vacuity with rubbish, has long 

 been prevalent at the west of London, and was much to be con- 

 demned ; and an instance was quoted of a house, whose rental was 

 £400 per annum, built over a laystall of the last century, that is a 

 pit where every kind of impurity was deposited, and now filled with 

 black mould mixed with sheep bones. This earth, when dried and 

 analyzed, yielded 10 per cent, of organic matter, and was as unwhole- 

 some to build on as an old churchyard. 



"Want of firmness might be remedied by a solid floor of concrete, 

 after the Roman manner, which would enable houses to be built with 

 less chance of settlements and cracks, which are causes of unhealthiness, 

 not merely by allowing cold and damp to enter, but by permitting 

 currents of fetid air to come from unknown and distant sources. 

 Thin walls, too, render a house not only extremely cold, but unwarmable 

 in winter. 



Passing over the grouping and position of houses, and the width of 

 streets, which ought to be regulated by the height of the sun in winter, 

 we come to the internal arrangements, and air supply. The last may 

 be provided by some special ventilating apparatus; or may be left to take 

 care of itself ; but even if left to itself, it will be prudent to see that the 

 basement doors, and other chief apertures, are not near any source of 

 contamination ; moreover, great caution should be exercised in roofing 

 in yards and areas with glass, as is often done, because the glass may 

 cover over some sources of effluvia, and bring them into the house. 

 This has been the cause of fever. 



The supply of air to the apartments should be large ; diffused and 

 not in perceptible draughts ; and warmed ; and should be so contrived 

 as not to attract attention : otherwise persons who are afraid of pure 

 air, especially servants and the poor, will speedily close up the aper- 

 tures. The plan suggested by the Commissioners on Warming and 

 Ventilation was exhibited, and described as fulfilling most of these 

 Conditions — inasmuch, as the air is warmed by the heat otherwise 

 wasted by the chimney, and is introduced in ascending currents ; and 

 care is taken that there is a channel of escape separate from the 

 chimney, and that the upper part of the apartments should be the 

 coolest. Any plan for bringing currents of cold air to the level of the 

 feet, or of the bed, is to be condemned. Nothing can be a better evidence 

 of the carelessness of our present system of air-supply to houses, than 

 the fact, that much of it comes down the chimneys when there is no 

 fire, bringing with it abundance of soot, and many, possibly unwhole- 

 some, products of imperfect combustion of organic matter. 



A free supply of pure air is the sine qua non to persons who lead 

 in-door lives ; inasmuch as the direct influence of close bedroom air in 

 producing scrofula and consumption has been proved incontestibly by 

 Carmichael of Dublin ; and later, by Dr. Guy. But till people have a 

 sufficiency of food and clothing, it is a mockery to speak of pure air. 

 Man's instinct chooses foulness before hunger ; when the contact of pure 



