49 2 Of Chimney Fireplaces. 



rooms heated by fireplaces constructed upon the com- 

 mon principle, those partial heats on one side of the 

 body, and cold blasts on the other, so often felt in 

 houses in this country, are infinitely more detrimental 

 to health than the supposed closeness of the air in a 

 room warmed more equally, and by a smaller fire. 



All these advantages, attending the introduction of 

 the improvements in fireplaces here recommended, are 

 certainly important, and I do not know that they are 

 counterbalanced by any one disadvantage whatsoever. 

 The only complaint that I have ever heard made against 

 them was that they made the rooms too warm ; but the 

 remedy to this evil is so perfectly simple and obvious, 

 that I should be almost afraid to mention it, lest it 

 might be considered as an insult to the understanding 

 of the person to whom such information should be 

 given ; for nothing surely can be conceived more per- 

 fectly ridiculous than the embarrassment of a person 

 on account of the too great heat of his room, when it 

 is in his power to diminish at pleasure the fire by which 

 it is warmed ; and yet, strange as it may appear, this 

 has sometimes happened ! 



Before I proceed to give directions for the construc- 

 tion of fireplaces, it will be proper to examine more 

 carefully the fireplaces now in common use; to point 

 out their faults ; and to establish the principles upon 

 which fireplaces ought to be constructed. 



The great fault of all the open fireplaces, or chimneys, 

 for burning wood or coals in an open fire, now in com- 

 mon use, is, that they are much too large ; or, rather, it 

 is the throat of the chimney^ or the lower part of its open 

 canal, in the neighborhood of the mantle and immedi- 

 ately over the fire, which is too large. This opening 



