Of Chimney Fireplaces. 485 



ney fire, which every one who reads this must often 

 have felt, cannot but be highly detrimental to health, 

 and in weak and delicate constitutions must often pro^ 

 duce the most fatal effects. I have not a doubt in my 

 own mind that thousands die in this country every year 

 of consumptions occasioned solely by this cause, : by a 

 cause which might be so easily removed ! by a cause 

 whose removal would tend to promote comfort and con- 

 venience in so many ways ! 



Strongly impressed as my mind is with the impor- 

 tance of this subject, it is not possible for me to remain 

 silent. The subject is too nearly connected with many 

 of the most essential enjoyments of life not to be highly 

 interesting to all those who feel pleasure in promoting 

 or in contemplating the comfort and happiness of man- 

 kind. And without suffering myself to be deterred 

 either by the fear of being thought to give to the sub- 

 ject a degree of importance to which it is not entitled, 

 or by the apprehension of being tiresome to my readers 

 by the prolixity of my descriptions, I shall proceed 

 to investigate the subject in all its parts and details with 

 the utmost care and attention. And first with regard 

 to smoking chimneys. 



There are various causes by which chimneys may be 

 prevented from carrying smoke, but there are none that 

 may not easily be discovered and completely removed. 

 This will doubtless be considered as a bold assertion ; but 

 I trust I shall be able to make it appear in a manner per- 

 fectly satisfactory to my readers that I have not ventured 

 to give this opinion but upon good and sufficient 

 grounds. 



Those who will take the trouble to consider the na- 

 ture and properties of elastic fluids, of air, smoke, and 



