Choosing Your Suit of Air 



A problem in scientific ventilation and how it is 

 being solved by some interesting experiments 



By George T. Palmer 



Chief of Investigating Staff, New York State Commission On Ventilation 



Arrangements for measuring and distributing the flow of air in a schoolroom. The room seems 

 to be free from air-consumers, but it is not. Under the conical hoods are lighted candles 

 which give off heat and use up oxygen at about the same rate as an equal number of pupils 



A PROPER "suit of air" is just as 

 important as a serviceable suit of 

 clothes. 



A ''suit of air" is not imaginary. It is a 

 fact. Our bodies are entirely surrounded 

 by air. Out of doors we can make the air 

 fit us pretty well by taking off or putting on 

 more clothes, or by moving about if neces- 

 sary to keep warm. Indoors, however, we 

 have not so many privileges. 



This finding of the proper suit of air does 

 not sound so difficult; for we are familiar 

 with electric desk fans in summer and large 

 ventilating blower fans in winter which 

 blow large volumes of air through an entire 

 building. But if the problem were simple 

 our workshops and places of amusement 

 would not have air that makes us feel bad. 



The New York State Commission on 

 Ventilation is engaged in studying this 



problem of ill-fitting air-suits. The funds 

 to support the work are given by the New 

 York Association for Improving the Condi- 

 tion of the Poor. This Commission 

 believes that the way to improve on the 

 ventilation of our buildings is to find out 

 first what good ventilation is, to find out 

 what the human body in its different activ- 

 ities needs. With these facts known, it is 

 then necessary to learn how to produce the 

 good conditions and avoid the bed. 



What Is Good Ventilation? 



The first step in finding out what is 

 good ventilation, is to measure the effect 

 of different kinds of air on people. 



The body is likened to a steam engine or 

 an automobile. THe appropriate fuel is 

 supplied and the combustion of this fuel 

 with oxygen produces energy, some of 



503 



