Heating, Ventilation and Lighting 



193 



Steam requires more constant attention than hot water, and is somewhat more 

 dangerous. Although the danger from fire is slight in the steam plant, yet care 

 should be taken to protect woodwork 

 near the carrying pipes. 



As the temperature of steam radia- 

 tors is higher than that of hot water, 

 it is harder to regulate the heat to mod- 

 erate weather. 



Taking all things into consideration, 

 there can be little doubt but that hot 

 water is the heating medium for the 

 average country house. 



In the perusal of the various works 

 on ventilation, one is struck with the 

 variety of principles and the beautiful 

 way in which one authority disposes 

 of those of all others. Some claim 

 that carbonic acid, the poisonous gas 

 given off with the exhaled breath, falls 

 to the floor because of its weight, and 

 others that it rises from the fact of its 

 lightness or from other reasons. From 

 this mass of varied information the fol- 

 lowing principles are advanced, as being 

 those favoured by the majority of the 

 best experts. 



The number of country houses that 

 have been fitted with special arrange- 

 ments for ventilation is comparatively small, for while it is now acknowledged that 

 the kitchen should be furnished with a vent to rid it of the numerous odours 

 indigenous to that room, yet the more harmful gases of the living rooms, which 

 often cannot be detected by the sense of smell, are allowed to pass unnoticed. 

 We sit in a closed room, under conditions of excessive heat, aud wonder whence 

 that pressure at the temple, that headache or that sickness. 



Under the conditions of the closed room, the limited supply of air soon loses 

 its vitality and becomes exhausted of its life-giving oxygen. Its deterioration is due, 

 then, to its loss of the aforesaid oxygen by respiration and by combustion from 

 heater and lights, and by contamination from the exhaled carbonic-acid gas. Is 

 it any wonder, then, that under such conditions the starved and poisoned system, 

 not receiving proper consideration, should be anything but healthy ? 



In order that the house may be kept in a normal condition, it is first 

 necessary that it should be comfortably warm and receive fresh air to replace the 

 discharge of the foul. With the country house these conditions are not at all 

 difficult. During the mild or warm weather the windows are open. Hence, during 

 the greater part of the time the conditions are nearer to those of the open air, 



A parlor mantel at Salem, Mass. A delicate effect in white 

 and gold. Note especially the facing tile, fender and andirons 



