THE AIR OF STOVE-HEATED ROOMS. 59 



An English house, enveloped in a foggy atmosphere, and 

 incased in damp surroundings, especially requires stove- heating 

 and the most inveterate worshippers of our national domestic 

 fetich, the open grate, invariably prefer a stove or hot-pipe- 

 heated room, when they are unconscious of the source of heat, 

 and their prejudice hoodwinked. I have observed this con- 

 tinually, and have often been amused at the inconsistency thus 

 displayed. For example, one evening I had a warm contest 

 with a lady, who repeated the usual praises of the cheerful 

 blaze, etc., etc. On calling afterward, on a bitter snowy 

 morning, I found her and her daughters sitting at work in the 

 billiard-room, and asked them why. " Because it is so warm 

 and comfortable." This room was heated by an 8-inch steam- 

 pipe, running around and under the table, to prevent the 

 undue cooling of the india-rubber cushions, and thus the room 

 was warmed from the middle, and equally and moderately 

 throughout. The large reception-room, with blazing fire, was 

 scorching on one side and freezing on the other, at that time 

 in the morning. 



The permeability of ill-constructed iron stoves to poisonous 

 carbonic oxide, which riddles through red-hot iron, is a real 

 evil, but easily obviated by proper lining. The frizzling of 

 particles of organic matter, of which we hear so much, is if 

 it really does occur highly advantageous, seeing that it must 

 destroy organic poison-germs. 



Under some conditions, the warm air of a room does deposit 

 moisture on its cooler walls. This happens in churches, con- 

 cert-rooms, etc. , when they are but occasionally used in winter 

 time, and mainly warmed by animal heat, by congregational 

 emanations of breath-vapor, and perspiration i.e. with warm 

 air supersaturated with vapor? Also, when we have a sudden 

 change from dry, frosty weather to warm and humid. Then 

 our walls may be streaming with condensed water. Such cases 

 were probably in the mind of Dr. Siemens when he spoke ; 

 but they are quite different from stove-heating or pipe-heating, 

 which increases the vapor capacity of the heated air, without 

 supplying the demand it creates. 



