adjacent to the jail, it would be impossible to save the prisoners. The county authorities must be held criminally responsible as long as this state of affairs is allowed to exist.

It is recommended that the entire wooden walls surrounding the cells be rebuilt of brick in such a manner as to render it fire-proof, or that some other positive way be devised to protect the prisoners from this great danger. At the time of the inspection not half a dozen pails of water could be obtained at the institution.

2. In the attic of the jail is a tank designed to hold about 100 gallons of water, but it did not then contain a pailful. In the same attic, upon a slightly lower level and directly over each cell, are placed six automatic flushing tanks. A bifurcated pipe is connected with each tank, one arm of which conducts water to the closet in the upper cell and the other to a closet in the lower cell beneath the tank. These smaller tanks, which hold a pailful or more of water, discharge automatically as often as they fill, and at each discharge flush the closets with which they are connected. Inquiry revealed the fact that the water supply has been short for a long time, and as the water is not exactly equally distributed to the flushing tanks, one or two of them were discharging all the water, while the others did not flush at all. Water is also conducted into each cell by means of pipes connecting directly with the flushing tanks, a very unsanitary arrangement, and having faucets attached, so that each prisoner can draw water into a wash basin. As most of the flushing tanks contain a little water at all times, the prisoners have resorted to the practice of drawing it off through the faucet into the wash basin and then using it to flush the closets. The large tank in the attic is supposed to be supplied by a small system of water works owned by private individuals. There is an urgent and imperative demand for an increased water supply.

3. The automatic arrangement of the flushing tank should be changed to one under the control of the prisoner. This is

the only proper way to control the flushing of the closets, and it would also make a great saving in the amount of water consumed.

4. The cells should be better supplied with furniture and bedding. Some of the cells contained nothing whatever except a worthless mattress and a single blanket. Each cell should be provided with a table or stand, a chair, and a reasonable amount of bedding. Some of the prisoners were slightly better accommodated, while one whose crime was a hundred-fold greater than that of the majority confined there, had all the comforts that could be afforded.

5. Some portions of the jail were exceedingly dirty, and the only means of ventilation is by raising or lowering windows, which is, of course, entirely impracticable except during the summer season; and as even this cannot be done by the prisoner, the ventilation depends upon the attention of those who look after the inmates.

While some of the comforts and luxuries found in the one cell alluded to, may possibly have been contributed by friends while the man is awaiting trial, such considerations do not account for the extra liberty allowed him, or the neatness and cleanliness of bedding, cell, etc.

There was much evidence to prove that the management of the jail could be materially improved, and must be in order to place the institution upon a par with similar institutions in the State. The prisoners are required to sweep their own cells. The filthy condition of one, especially, was said to be owing to the fact that the two occupants of the cell refused to do this work, and as a consequence they were being deprived of their food, not having had anything to eat for the previous twenty-four hours. This practice is not required in jails, and it is the duty of the jailor to keep the premises in a cleanly condition at all times.

The prisoners also complained that, greatly to their dislike, they were occasionally placed on exhibition by the servant girl, who had a key to the outer corridor, and who not infrequently had several of her associates in to see the prisoners.

From the positive evidence which was obtained at the time of the inspection, we do not hesitate to say that many changes are demanded at this institution.

PORTSMOUTH SCHOOLHOUSES.

The following report upon the heating and ventilating of the Whipple and Farragut schoolhouses, in Portsmouth, is self-explanatory:

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.

SECRETARY'S OFFICE.

CONCORD, May 20, 1891.

To His Honor the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, Portsmouth, N. H.:

GENTLEMEN,

In accordance with a request made to this Board by your Honorable Board, to examine the system of heating and ventilation in use at the Whipple and Farragut schools of Portsmouth, we respectfully submit the following brief report with conclusions and recommendations:

An examination of the said buildings was made on behalf of this Board, on May 15, by its secretary and Dr. J. J. Berry, assisted by Prof. E. R. Angell and Dr. S. C. Heffenger.

WHIPPLE SCHOOL.

An examination of this building was commenced immediately after the school opened in the forenoon. Good fires were found in the four furnaces used for heating purposes, and also in each of the two stacks or chimneys for exhaust purposes; therefore, the conditions under which the tests of the ventilating capacity of the system were made were most favorable, and must have shown the system in its best working order, under the climatic conditions of that date.

An examination of the dry closet chambers showed a fairly complete desiccation of the matter deposited therein, with a fairly strong

outgoing current, the velocity of which was not measured. Upon the boys' side of the house, with a single closet cover raised, there was a downward current of air through the opening at the rate of 235 feet per minute. At the urinals no current was developed, the air being apparently stationary in the pipes leading therefrom. On the girls' side there were four broken covers, and with two open there was a downward current of air at the rate of 205 feet per minute.

This room has a seating capacity of forty-eight, and there were present forty-two pupils. A careful measurement of this room, with computation of cubic space per pupil, proved it to be ample, and the same may be said of several other rooms whose measurements were taken. It is assumed that the same is true of all the schoolrooms of the buildings examined.

The room is heated and ventilated through an incoming flue in the wall, some eight feet above the floor, and nearly midway of one side of the room; the exhaust, or outgoing flues, are located nearly equidistant from each other in the remaining three sides of the room, in the baseboards, and are ten in number. A measurement of the superficial area of the incoming flue gave 630 square inches, and from this was deducted, after careful measurement, 118 square inches, the loss in superficial area occasioned by the lattice-work across the flue, leaving 512 square inches, superficial area, through which all the incoming air is received. Calculations in the other rooms referred to were made in the same manner. The windows were closed during all the experiments. A measurement by the anemometer gave the velocity of the incoming warm air (fullest amount possible), as 255 feet per minute, equivalent to 21 cubic feet per minute per scholar, or 1,260 cubic feet per hour.

For a better understanding of these and subsequent figures, it may be proper to state at this point that the best medical and sanitary authorities upon schoolhouse ventilation, place 1,800 cubic feet of air per hour as the minimum amount allowable for each pupil. Many authorities regard these figures as too low. It is estimated that 30 cubic feet of fresh air is required per pupil each minute, in order that the carbonic acid gas thrown off by the lungs shall not accumulate to an extent of more than six parts per 10,000. The amount of carbonic acid in the atmosphere of a room is regarded as an index to the amount of organic matter eliminated by the lungs, by surface evapo

ration, etc. It will, therefore, be seen that the full volume of warm air supplied to this room was considerably less than the minimum amount allowable.

With the warm air shut off, by reversing the damper, the velocity of the cold, fresh air coming in was found to be only 83 feet per minute, equal to seven cubic feet per minute per pupil, or 420 cubic feet per hour, a condition which, if long continued, would render the air intolerable, and extremely dangerous to those confined in it.

The baseboard registers, with warm air turned on, showed a fair outgoing current in eight out of the ten, the two nearest the incoming flue showing no current at all. With the warm air turned off there was a feeble outgoing current in only three of the registers, no movement of air taking place in the others. A momentary reverse current was established through some of the registers upon opening the door into the hall.

Room 6, Grade 6.

Thirty-three pupils present. With warm air fully turned on there was a velocity of 220 feet per minute, giving 24 cubic feet of air per minute per pupil, or 1,440 cubic feet per hour. With the warm air shut off and the cold air admitted, it was found that the latter had the greater velocity, 233 feet per minute, giving 25 cubic feet of air per minute per pupil, or 1,500 per hour. It was difficult to account for this condition, except upon the theory that the prevailing current of outside air had a greater propelling influence upon the volume of air in the pipes than did the draft from the stack upon the hot air. With the cold air on, the anemometer revealed a fairly rapid current of outgoing air in the flue nearest the teacher's desk, and slightly feeble currents in only a part of the remaining flues.

Room H.

Velocity of incoming warm air, fullest capacity, 330 feet per minute, equivalent to 28 cubic feet per minute per pupil, or 1,680 per hour. There were 41 pupils present. Temperature of room, 68 degrees F.

Velocity of incoming current of cold air, 190 feet per minute, equivalent to 16 cubic feet per minute per pupil, or 960 per hour.

With the cold air on, two of the baseboard flues showed stationary air, while in the remaining flues the currents were variable. The experiments made in the rooms mentioned were deemed sufficient for the time and purpose. A test of the heating capacity of the