Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1912 — KEEP WELL AND WARM [ARTICLE]

KEEP WELL AND WARM

FRESH, PURE AIR IS ESSENTIAL TO HEALTH. Furnace Fire Must Be Attended To, Twit Not to the “Entire Neglect of the Important Factor of Ventilation. First on the list of requisites for saaod health In winter is not the furnace fire, but a good continuous supply of fresh, pure air! True, the furnace fire must be attended to, bat not to the entire neglect of that equally important health factor,ventilation. It Is a generally accepted theory that the best way to admit a supply of fresh air into a room is to lower the windows from the top. But is it? This admits a cold incoming current—and then, what happens? The heat from the registers or radiators, being lighter than the surrounding atmosphere of the room, immediately rises toward the ceiling, and rapidly finds its way out of the window! While, on the other hand, the impure gas (carbon dioxide) which We exhale from the lungs, being heavier than air, does not rise when expelled fromthe bodyf but gradually settles down in the lower part of the room. Thus, a room ventilated in this way, has three layers of air; the. carbon dioxide at the bottom of the room; the hot air, all at the top (on its way out of the window); and in between the two an incoming current of fresh air, which, although it brings in oxygen near the region of thftcarbon dioxide, feels cold and rawTbecause it does not get an opportunity to mingle "with the heated air at the top of the room. A much better way to ventilate a room is to open the window at the bottom. This gives an outlet for"the carbon dioxide; and at the center of the window, where the sashes intersect, there is an incoming current of air to mingle with the neat coming from the radiators before it all rises toward the ceiling. To prevent uncomfortable drafts from blowing in, a device 1b now made by window manufacturers which consists of a small wooden frame filled in with glass and resembling a transom. This fits in between the frames and the sash and can be opened out as far as desired, to carry off the Impure gas as well as to admit the air. Many people have homemade devices that answer the same purpose. The idea of having the windows open both at the top and bottom is unnecessary, except for carrying off overheated air. Drafts from window frames and dbor jambs should be stopped up with feather strips of either rubber or canvas. These can be bought for a moderate price, anywhere. These strips be tacked on with nails placed quite close together, otherwise tbeT strain of opening and shutting doors and windows will rip them out. A great deal of cold can also be kept out of the house by inside window curtains of burlap, or denim, lined with some cotton material. At night when dfbWn together, these curtains prove to be a great protection, especially in isolated country houses that have to withstand the force of the winds. If floors are cold, line all the rugs or carpets with heavy canvas, or sailcloth. Such a lining not only helps to keep the feet warm, but prevents the warp threadß from wearing away too fast. If used under a rug, cut the lining to fit exactly, joining any seams so that they will lie flat like a fell. Turn under the edges of the lining, and tack it to the border of the mg with stout linen thread, placing the tackings about three inches 1 apart. If carpets are used, put between the lining and the carpqt, a layer of newspapers. These will not only keep out the cold from the floor beneath, but will collect all the dirt sifted through the carpet. Then, when housecleaning time comes, the dirt can be gathered up in the newspapers, leaving the lining comparatively clean. —The Housekeeper.