64 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



in a state of motion. This fact probably explains the value 

 of living and sleeping out of doors. Moving air, not stagnant 

 air, is what we need. An increased amount of oxygen does 

 not in itself bring relief. The ill effects of over-heated air 

 of low humidity may be noted in passing, although they pre- 

 sent a dififerent problem. 



It has recently been suggested that the high rate of mor- 

 tality among infants in city slums is not chiefly due to the 

 poor quality of their food, but may be in part explained by 

 the fact that they are often so housed that there is no relief 

 from the eiTects of combined high temperature and moisture. 

 A German scientist points out (Gemund, Wohnungshygiene 

 and Hochsommerklima, Zeitschrift fur Socialwissenschaft. 

 iVol. Ill, Nos. 7, 8 and 9,) that in small cottage houses 

 <Dn paved, treeless streets there is often no escape from ex- 

 cessive heat. If the people remain indoors seeking shelter, 

 the increased humidity due to evaporation from their bodies 

 adds to the difficulty. Large buildings, planned so that there 

 may be movement of air within and with shaded porches and 

 yards or small parks near by in which there are trees and 

 grass, is a method of caring for as many people in a given 

 area as by the cottage plan, so highly praised from the point 

 of view of so-called ventilation. It is impossible at this time 

 to elaborate this point. I can merely suggest that the find- 

 ings of the sanitarian should be taken by the architect, en- 

 gineer, and social student and an effort made to work out 

 methods by which an automatic movement of air may be se- 

 cured in dwellings without sacrificing other important in- 

 terests. 



In the second place, we know that 



(a) Air from properly constructed sewers is not harm- 

 ful. 



(1)) Simple i^lunibing fixtures are an aid rather than a 

 menace to health. 



These facts mean that we should greatly simplify our 

 plumbing laws and do everything possible to have plumbing 

 fixtures installed at so little cost that they will be within the 

 reach of everybody. They should be as essential a part of 

 every house as its walls and doors. 



^Modern sanitation is placing more and more emphasis 

 on i^ersonal cleanliness. When those who are used to an 

 ample supply of water, both hot and cold, realize the difficulty 

 of maintaining high standards of cleanliness, it is not hard to 

 understand what results when three or four families and their 

 lodgers have to share one fixture. We often hear that poor 

 people will not use plumbing fixtures, if they have them. The 

 popular illustration is the bath tub in the model tenement 



