Page:Family receipt book.pdf/17

17 is very common, and the remedy troublesome and difficult. The most effectual eure, if the situation will admit, is to build a small additional flue, and open a hole into it from the baek of the chimncy, near the level of the mantel-piece, slanting upwards in an easy direction; this supplemental flue must be carried to the top of the building to receive the surplus of the smoke, and will prove a certain cure. If the situation will not allow of this expedient, the fire-place may be con-traeted both in breadth and height, a smaller grate used, and the chimney heightened at the top; which will oblige the air to pass close over the fire, and carry up the smoke with greater rapidity, for the quicker the current, the less room it requires. Should the chimney still smoke, a blower, or front plate, to put on and take off at pleasure, will be of use. But it none of these prescriptions answer, then sometbing must be done to improve tbe current of air towards the fire. This brings us to a consideration of the want of ventilation in the room. If the chimney and fire-place be faultless, and yet smoke, it is almost ecrtain that there is a want of ventilation. In ordinary circumstances, as much air is admitted by ehinks in windows and doors as will feed a fire; but if the room be rendered very close by closing as many chinks as possible, how is the fire to receive air? According to the plan on which houses are generally built, ventilation is left to be a matter of chance. To ventilate an old house is therefore no easy task. The following plans are worth considering, for they bave been found to answer:---Contrive to bring a small tube from the external air, or from a staircase or lobby, to a point beneath the grate, so as to cause a free current of air to reach the fire. If the mouth of the tube below the grate be topped with a cowl, the ashes will be prevented from falling into it. Some years ago, the rooms of a publie offiee in Edinburgh were completely cured of smoke by this simple contrivanec, after all other means had failed. Another plan consists in perforat-ing small holes in the cornice or roof, for the air to gain ad-mission ; but, unfortunately, unless eare be taken to prevent colds, the eure is apt to be worse than the disease. Cases are by no means uncommon of fire-places giving out a puff of smoke every time the door of the room is shut. The cause of tbis kind of smokiness is the want of ventilation in the room. In shutting the door, it pulls out a certain quan-tity of air, wbich cannot be afforded to be lost, or it causes such distraction of the current towards the fire, that the equi-librinm that carries up the smoke is destroyed, and a puff downwards-in other words, a rush of air loaded with smoke