REPORT OF tH£ SECRETARY, 37 



LIBRARY. 



The following is a statement of the books, mapS, arid 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 



1,667 



Parts of vol umes : 



Octavo or smaller 3, 983 



Quarto or larger 4, 843 



8,820 



Pamphlets : 



Octavo or smaller ... 1, 979 



Quarto or larger 344 



2,323 



Maps and charts 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 proper ventilation of the House of Eep- 

 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 ofBce 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 Representatives in its deliberations. 

 The question having arisen as to the purity of the air in different parts 

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

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

 of the Bureau of Education, and some interesting and important state- 

 ments and generalizations were furnished. Their work was completed ; 

 on the 2d of April, and a report furnished in the same month and jnib- 

 lished as a part of Report ^o. 1970, Forty eighth Congress, first ses- 

 sion. The conclusions of the report are that — 



1. The chemical examinations and tests indicate no impurity 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. 



