VENTILATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 777, 25 September 1929, Page 14

VENTILATION

Death to Millions of Microbes VITALLY NECESSARY When 1 praise the open air, even in ! winter, and the outside of the bus and j the exposed life in general, the ad- 1 vice may seem simply cranky and i wrong-headed to many readers, writes Dr. C. W. Saleeby, in the London “Daily Mail.” But, first, observe the precept of Aristotle—in medio tutissimus ibis—which means, in plain English, that on the crown of the road you are farthest from both ditches; and second, fear the exposure to the hardships outdoors less than the deadly exposure to the invisible but murderous germs indoors. That is the real danger of winter. Half the problem of living through the winter is to avoid the deadly infections met with indoors, where we must, perforce, spend so much of our time. A chief means of safety in these circumstances, seemingly so safe, really so insecure, is abundant ventilation. We were all taught, at the end of the last century, that ventilation is needed in order to get rid of the carbonic acid gas, as we used to call it, which leaves our lungs. Tho greatest living authority on the subject, Dr. Leonard Hill, however, has shown us that we need not worry about carbon dioxide. It never accumulates. (Choke damp in a coalmine is another thing.) But the reasons for ventilation remain. and are terribly cogent. For myself, I attach leading importance to the dilution of infection, as I will call it. No solitary, single microbe can kill us; it is overwhelmed at once. The danger is mass infection, and mass infection has its chance indoors. Many people at this time of the year in any crowded place are spreading various infections every time they cough, sneeze or even speak. A tiny spray of drops conveying numberless germs leaves the mouth even in quiet speech. Ventilation reduces the horrid density of the infection in such places, dilutes the infection, and often saves us. in many modern theatres and halls special means for ventilation are now installed. But they are not my present concern. In our homes we have neither plenum nor vacuum systems. We have doors, chimneys, windows; and we must use them. The use of doors and windows is obvious. The chimney or flue should be better respected. Its value is great, more especially when combustion is in progress at its base and is causing a quite swift current of air to pass upward. Never in any circumstances close the chimney by means of those plates which are still to be found above our fireplaces. Beware of rooms with no chimneys, for the problem of ventilating them is formidable. At the foot of the chimney we may burn soft coal, anthracite, coke, wood or gas. The nature of the fuel is irrelevant; its combustions and the upward draught caused in the chimney or flue are our salvation. A very serious defect, however, is present as soon as we begin to heat a room which has no chimney or flue. I protest most seriously against the type of all-electric house, and I thank a reader who draws my attention to a recent experience when inspecting some new houses. Electricity can serve our lives incalculably, and not least by giving us artificial sunlight. But when it is used to heat a room •without adequate ventilation, its results in vast numbers of cases will be slowly but certainly fatal.