1060 Transactions of the Aiierican Institute. 



avenues for the exit of tliis air already existed or could be easily- 

 made. 



Mr, Phin. — I understand you to say, that the sponge is for the pur- 

 pose of absorbing the moisture of the atmosphere. (The exhibitor 

 confiTnied the accuracy of this impression.) Now do you not think 

 that something that would moisten the air would be more valuable 

 than anything that will dry it ? I deny entirely that the sponge will 

 ■have the effect that you say it will have ; but if it did produce the 

 effect described, I think it would be a disadvantage, as in nine cases 

 out of ten the air in our houses is too dry. 



Dr. Allen. — The object of this ventilator is to purify the air from 

 those miasinic influences which are so prevalent. The charcoal frees 

 the air from all miasmatic germs, and from all organic impurities, 

 and thus prevents the spread of fever and ague and numerous other 

 diseases. All scientific men agree that charcoal is one of the best 

 purifiers, and. in this case we have applied it to that article of which 

 we consume most, viz : The air we breathe. 



Dr. Edwards. — It seems to me that this ventilator is a one-sided 

 affair. You might just as well set a one-legged man to run a race. 

 The air cannot enter freely through all this mass of sponge and char- 

 coal ; and what we want is abundance of air. Plenty of air, even 

 though the air be poor, is better than no air at all. What consump- 

 tives want is air. The old hot-house system of treating patients has 

 been entirely abandoned by the best physicians, and now we send 

 them to St. Paul, Minnesota, where the air is clear, cool and bracing. 

 As a part of a system of ventilation, this ventilator is all very well ; 

 but as a system of ventilation it is defective. 



Dr. Allen. — Consumptives want air, but they want pure air. 



Dr. Edwards. — Better breathe bad air than none at all. 



Mr. Fisher. — Let us have the air as<dod gave it to us. Durino- 

 my time I have seen a great many attempts at purifying the air in 

 railroad cars, and I have been consulted professionally in regard to 

 them a great many times, and I have often been astonished at the 

 amount of dust and dirt which these purifiers would extract from 

 foul air. But after a little, that is, just as soon as the excitement died 

 out a little, the railroad companies have abandoned them, and things 

 go on just as they did before. If we could only^get the air as God 

 gave it to us, we would do well enough, but unfortunately we have 

 very little such air in Kew York. • 



Mr. J. A. "Whitney remarked that ventilation is required most 

 where foul air abounds. In the country districts where the air is 



