W.H. Churchman, The Air We Breathe. Being An Essay Upon the Sources, Prevalence, Nature and Morbific Influence of Atmospheric Impurities, As Well As the Principles of Ventilation, and the Most Approved Appliances for Warming Buildings (paper presented at the Western Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, 7-8 June 1870). 9" x 5.5",, 53pp. Indianapolis, Indiana, 1871. Original wrappers. About a third of the spine cover is missing, otherwise in nice condition. G/VG copy. Provenance: Library of Congress, with their 6mm perforated "LC" on the title page and rubber stamp on the rear cover. $85 Scarce. WorldCat locates 10 copies.
“Writing in 1870, W.H. Churchman of Indianapolis declared that “[p]urity in the air we breathe is one of the prime necessities of life, and, therefore, an essential condition of physical and mental health.”296 While Churchman was primarily concerned with indoor air quality, his essay is noteworthy because its contents demonstrate that certain substances were known to be toxic and lethal if airborne. For example, Churchman listed pollutants such as lead, copper, arsenic, and sulfur, as well as carbonic acid (now known as carbon dioxide), carbonic oxide (the archaic term for carbon monoxide), and carburetted hydrogen (the old term for methane)...”-- Ruth Diane Reichard, Infrasructure, Separation, and Inequality...MA thesis, Dept History, Indiana, Univ, 2008.
Comments