HOT [ 



these structures, is the following, pro- 

 posed by Mr. West 



' io'4 



D D, chamber in which the dung 

 is placed, three and a half feet deep, 

 surrounded by nine-inch brickwork. 

 One half of this is rilled longitudinally 

 with dung at the commencement, which, 

 if kept close shut up, will last twelve or 

 eighteen days, according to the quality 

 of the dung. As the heat declines, the 

 other side is filled, and the temperature 

 is further sustained by additions to the 

 top of both as the mass settles. "When 

 this united heat becomes insufficient, 

 the side first filled being cleared, the 

 old manure must be mixed with some 

 fresh, and replaced, this being repeated 

 alternately to either heap as often as 

 necessary. A A, are the doors, two 

 of which are on each side for the ad- 

 mission of the dung. They are two and 

 a half feet square, fitted into grooves 

 at the bottom, and fastened by means 

 of a pin and staple at the top. BB, are 

 small areas sunk in front, surrounded 

 by a curb of wood; a G G, are bars 

 passing longitudinally as a guide and 

 support in packing the dung ; c, repre- 

 sents a bar of cast-iron, two inches wide 

 and three-quarters of an inch thick, 

 placed on the edge of which there is a 

 row, a foot asunder, across the cham- 

 ber to support a layer of small Avood 

 branches and leaves, H, for the pur- 

 pose of sustaining the soil, K, in the 

 upper chamber ; E E, represents the 

 orifices, of which there are a series all 

 round the pit, communicating with the 

 flue v i' F, which surrounds the beds ; 

 the exterior wall of this flue is built 

 with bricks laid flat, the inner one of 

 bricks set on edge. The flue is two 

 inches wide, and, for the sake of 

 strength, bricks are passed occasionally 



3 ] HOT 



from side to side as ties. The top of 

 the flue, and the internal part of the 

 wall, which rises at the back and front 

 to the level the earth is meant to stand, 

 are covered with tiles, over the joints of 

 which slips of slate, bedded in mortar, 

 are laid to prevent the escape of the 

 steam of the dung ; i, represents one 

 of two plugs, which stop holes left to 

 regulate the heat and steam as may be 

 necessary. The outer wall supports 

 the lights. For the convenience of 

 fixing the dung, it is best to fill the 

 half of the chamber at the commence- 

 ment, before the branches, mould, &c. , 

 are put in. 



Hot Water Beds. If hot water be 

 the source of heat, the following sketch 

 of the bed and frame employed by Mr. 

 Mitchell, at Worsley, is about the best 

 that can be employed. The objects 

 kept in view when it was constructed, 

 were 1st. A circulation of air without 

 loss of heat. 2nd. A supply of moist- 

 ure at command, proportionable to the 

 temperature. 3rd. A desirable amount 

 of bottom-heat. 4th. A supply of ex- 

 ternal air (when necessary) without 

 producing a cold draught. 



The method by which the first of 

 these is accomplished, will be under- 

 stood by referring to the section, in 

 which a is the flow-pipes, bb b the re- 

 turn-pipes in the chamber A. It is 

 evident that, as the air in the chamber 

 becomes heated, it will escape upwards 

 by the opening c, and the cold air from 

 the passage B will rush in to supply its 

 place; but the ascending current of 

 heated air coming in contact with the 

 glass, is cooled, descends, and entering 

 the passage B, passes into the chamber 

 A, where it is again heated ; and thus a 



constant circulation is produced. In 

 order to obtain the second object, to 



