172 Suggestions for the better Ventilation of 



mention, in justice to the ingenious and philanthropic Dr De- 

 saguHers, that he complains of the great difficulty he had in 

 getting a proper trial of his machine by the Lords of the Ad- 

 miralty in 1740. Exper. Phil. vol. ii. 4to. 



The wind- fan, or blowing- wheel of Dr Desaguliers on a large 

 scale, was fitted up under his own directions in a chamber over 

 the House of Commons, to draw the hot and foul air out of the 

 House ; it was worked occasionally from 1736 to 1743. As 

 Dr Desaguliers in his Experimental Phil. 1744, regrets much 

 the opposition manifested to his ventilator, and the injustice 

 it received, it is not likely it was ever much used in ships ; 

 but it was an ingenious and simple contrivance, and if it had 

 had the modern improvements of construction, it would have 

 been more successful. 



The blowing-fan is seemingly of much greater antiquity than 

 these inventions. It is noticed in Agricola de Re Metallica 

 (Paris, 1541.) It is obviously derived from the grain fanning- 

 mill, which is generally supposed to have been introduced into 

 Europe from the Chinese by the Dutch. In the Gent. Maga- 

 zine, May 1747, a representation is given of a grain fanning- 

 mill, seemingly an old invention, used in Silesia, easily con- 

 verted into Dr Desagulier's machine.* 



The value of the wind-fan as a ventilator is every day be- 

 coming more appreciated. After the lapse of a century the 

 plan has been again revived, and it has been made use of in 

 some steamers within these few years to ventilate and cool 

 the furnace-room, and it was likewise adopted by Dr D. B. Reid 

 for the general ventilation of the vessels fitted out for the late 

 African expedition (Lit. Gazette, 1841), in the Victoria and 

 Albert Steam Yacht, and in other instances. The blowing- 

 fan is now much approved of for many ventilating purposes, 

 such as for mines, factories, power-loom mills, &;c., wherever 

 steam-power can be readily obtained to propel it ; and where 

 there is a surplus power. In several public buildings, such 

 as the Old Bailey Session- House and Reform Club House, 



♦ Herbert, in his Encyclopaedia, mentions, that the first blowing-machine on 

 this principle of which we have a distinct account, was that invented by Teral, 

 1729 ; but it is clear that it was recommended by Papin for ventilating purposes 

 many years before. 



