Second report from the Select Committee on Ventilation and Lighting of the House : together with the proceedings of the committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Ventilation of the House.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Second report from the Select Committee on Ventilation and Lighting of the House : together with the proceedings of the committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    D. B. Reid, obliged to send in such a quantity of air that the ordinary ventilating discharges will not let it all out as the valves are 26 March set; if the ordinary ventilating discharge did let it all out, 18,50. then there would be no superfluity to leak out at the doors. With a perfectly homogeneous atmosphere, a little excess striking upon the ceiling generally throughout the room and recoiling a little, does no great harm ; but if that ceiling be charged to a high degree with excessively hot air perhaps 6°, 8° or 10', or immediately over the lamps 20° or 30° above the temperature of the rest of the atmosphere, the greater the recoil downwards by the sides of the galleries, the less facility have I to work my plenum movement so as to produce a leakage out of the doors, nnless I run the risk of bringing- down some of this superior warm air to the level of the leak- ing doors. If there were no obstructing cause from the excessive heat at the ceiling, I could at all times send in air of a particular temperature, that would descend so far as the supply of the galleries goes, while the Members would have that continuous movement upon the floor which we are all anxious to obtain. 362. Mr. Ricardo.~] You were understood to say, that your great dependence for the supply of air to the House of Commons is upon sending it down from the roof, and that you are prevented from availing yourself of that resource because of the gas-lights, which change the temperature of the air when you have forced it in ?—That states the propo- sition in a more strong and exclusive manner than I should speak of the supply of air from that source ; we have a great source of supply below. There are three levels or stages at which air has to be supplied—the floor, the gallery, and. the upper gallery; it is often a matter of convenience, particu- larly in a building where some of these have been added after the foundations were all laid, to take in a certain limited supply at times from above. .{Suppose I have supplied the body of the House, and that there is no complaint there, that there is an equal action, but it is too hot in the gallery, I could let in a certain amount at the top, which would supply those in the gallery, without in any way altering the position of affairs below ; and this would be a great facility and assist- ance ; it would give me another source to assist me in my plenum movement. 363. What means would you resort to to force the air down ?■—There is an engine, and an instrument lying ready for use at the present moment in the roof. 364. Once in the House of Commons, I presume you have no
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