A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



has been adopted in various places in America. But 

 many others might wisely follow their example, nota- 

 bly the Parisians, whose sewerage system, despite 

 the boasted exhibition canal-sewer, is, like so many 

 other things Parisian, of the most primitive character 

 and a reproach to present-day civilization. 



It may be added that there are plenty of things ex- 

 hibited in this museum which the Germans themselves 

 might study to advantage, for it must be understood 

 that the other hygienic conditions pertaining to Berlin 

 are by no means all on a par with the high modern 

 standard of the sewerage system. In the matter of ven- 

 tilation, for example, one may find admirable models 

 in the museum, showing just how the dwelling and 

 shop and school-room should make provision for a 

 proper supply of pure air for their occupants. But if 

 one goes out from the museum and searches in the 

 actual dwelling or shop or school-room for the counter- 

 parts of these models, one will be sorely puzzled where 

 to find them. The general impression which a casual 

 inspection will leave in his mind is that the word ven- 

 tilation must be as meaningless to the German mind 

 as it is, for example, to the mind of a Frenchman or 

 an Italian. This probably is not quite just, since the 

 German has at least reached the stage of having mu- 

 seum models of ventilated houses, thus proving that 

 the idea does exist, even though latent, in his men- 

 tal equipment, whereas the other continental nation- 

 alities seem not to have reached even this incipient 

 stage of progress. All over Europe the people fear a 

 current of air as if veritable miasm must lurk in it. 

 They seem quite oblivious to any systematic necessity 



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