374 8, Webber on Ventilation. 
haz, XXXIV Nias. Thoughts on Prof. Hosking’ s Romani 
on Ventilation ; + by Samuet WeBBE 
" ALrnoucn in these. modern days of discovery and invention, F 
we do not admit the strict truth of Solomon’s remark, that there 
is nothing new under the sun, yet we are often reminded of it 
by seeing something brought forward with claims to novelty, 
that can ‘be stipported only by a forgetting of what has been done 
in by- gone times. Of this class seems to be Professor Hosking’s 
plan for ventilation by means of a parlor fire, brought forward 
asa thing of comparatively recent invention. At least all of it 
but the ventilating opening into the flue of the chimney near the 
ceiling was almost exacily rused a great mauy years ago; and the 
ventilating opening itself has long been familiar to: those who 
have paid any attention to the stibject: 
One of the earliest things that we recollect in our boyhood, 
was a coal-grate furnished with tubes for bringing into the room 
a current of heated air from behind the grate whither it was con- 
veyed by another tube communicating with the external air, an 
air chamber having been formed behind the grate for Bt purpose 
of receiving and heating it. This was about 1803 or 
Not far from the same time, Mr. Allan Pollock, of see in- 
vented an iron stove, in which the same principle was introduced. 
The stove itself was a close stove for burning wood, and the ex- 
ternal air was introduced by a tube communicating with. an ait 
passage | in the, interior of the stove, whence, when heated, it 
issued into the room through an iron pipe opening on the top 0 
the stove. 
In 1815 and 1816, the prineiple was extensively employed in 
Bain and its vicinity in conjunction with open parlor fire- places 
for burning wood. ‘he hearth was hollow, the upper surface 
* deb yainets page 249 of shige. ad . 
