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21
feet for each. person might be worse for health than
a room with 500 that was better ventilated. I find
however, in all our rooms whether used for sleeping
or work a deficiency of ventilation: in many houses
of this Parish the upper sash of the window does
not come down, and often rooms are used for
sleeping with no fire-place, and doors and windows
are kept closed, so as to prevent the escape of foul
air, and the egress of pure air from without.
Ventilation cannot be constantly secured in our
dwelling houses by mechanical arrangements,
what is really required everywhere is intelligent
superintendence. A knowledge of the nature of
heat and cold, of their effects on the human body,
and of the methods of ventilating rooms is essential,
on the part of the individuals, or some one of the
individuals who reside in the house.
The extensive use of gas in sleeping rooms and
work rooms, is another complication of our present
civilisation, which renders attention to ventilation of
increasing importance. I pointed out, in one of my
previous Reports, that with proper arrangements the
burning of gas might be so arranged, as not only not
to be a nuisance, but actually to facilitate the
means of ventilation. Such an arrangement has
been carried out by Mr. Ricketts in his "Ventilating
"globe lights," and I strongly recommend that this
principle be acted on wherever gas is-consumed.
During the year 1885 I called your attention to
the opening in Clifford Street, of a Dressmaking