REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 37 



LIBRARY. 

 The following is a stateineiit of the books, maps, and charts received 

 by the Smithsonian Institution during the year 1884 and transferred to 

 the Library of Congress or to that of the National Museum : 

 Volumes : 



Octavo or smaller 1, 222 



Quarto or larger 345 



1, 567 



Parts of volumes: 



Octavo or smaller 3, 983 



Quarto or larger 4, 843 



8,82G 



Pamphlets : 



Octavo or smaller ... 1, 979 



Quarto or larger 344 



2, 32c> 



Maps and charts ..A 143 



Total. 12,859 



RELATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION TO OTHER BODIES. 



I. To the Government — Congress. — Ever since the completion of the 

 new wings of the Capitol, the jjroper ventilation of the House of Rep 

 resentatives has been a subject of anxiety to its members, and several 

 commissions of civilians have been appointed to consider the question. 

 Of these Professor Henry was chairman, and at the time of his death, in 

 .1878, he had completed a renewed inquiry on the subject, and prepared 

 a report upon the same. In this office I succeeded Professor Henry, 

 and again, in February, 1884, was asked to form one of an advisory 

 committee (the other members consisting of Colonel Casey, of the 

 United States Engineers, Mr. Edward Clark, Architect of the Capitol, 

 and Dr. J, S. Billings, of the Army Medical Museum) to assist the 

 standing committee of the House of Eepresentatives in its deliberations. 

 The question having arisen as to the purity of the air in difl'ereut i)arts 

 of the hall and its approaches, a chemical analysis of the same was made 

 by Dr. J. H. Kidder, XJ. S. N., with the assistance of Mr. E. L. Packard 

 of the Bureau of Education, and some interesting and imi)ortant state- 

 ments and generalizations were furnished. Their work was comjjleted 

 on the 2d of April, and a report furnished in the same month and ])ub- 

 lished as a part of Report No. 1970, Eortyeighth Congress, first ses- 

 sion. The conclusions of the report are that — 



1. The chemical examinations and tests indicate no imi)urity in the 

 air supplied to the House, nor unwholesome change during its passage 

 through the air-duct or the hall. 



2. The air in the corridors and stairways is much less pure than that 

 of the hall. * * * 



5. The "relative humidity" as observed is about 20 per cent, below 

 the accepted standard, and probably falls much lower in cold weather. 



