Economy of coal in house fires, or, how to convert an ordinary fire-grate into a slow combustion stove at a small cost / by T. Pridgin Teale.

  • Teale, T. Pridgin (Thomas Pridgin), 1831-1923.
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Economy of coal in house fires, or, how to convert an ordinary fire-grate into a slow combustion stove at a small cost / by T. Pridgin Teale. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The Exception “ Proves” the Rule. Exceptio probat regulam—the exception tests, puts to the proof—probes tlie rule.* Economisers were adopted for the fires in my wards in the Leeds Infirmary, with the effect of saving coal—hut -without attaining, in all instances, the usual improvement of a fire bright to the bottom. One cold da}’- when the fires in one of my wards, had been allowed to go very low, a friend met me and said—“ Why, you are starving your patients by your economisers.” This put me upon the alert. Finding that in this ward the fires often burnt dull, and when low, did not quickly revive, I was convinced that something invalidated my condition of keeping the chamber beneath the fire hot. A close investigation discovered that the hearth instead of being stone or fire-brick was formed by a large iron chamber through which air passed from the outside to the interior of the ward, receiving heat in passing through the chamber. The iron hearth and chamber were replaced by fire-brick, and the back of the fire was inclined forwards (the Milner back), see plates II., III., IV., VII., and all was changed. The fire is now brilliant, gives out an enormous amount of heat, and renders the ward the warmest in the house, except two which have hot water pipes in addition to the ordinary fires. This result is gained with a reduced amount of coal. Are the ideas Embodied in the “ Economiser ” Novel ? Certainly not. They were suggested to mo by the Coal- brookdale range, shewn in plates II., VII. But more important than this is the fact, that others have arrived * Cf. Sir J. Paget, Bradshawe Lecture, Lancet, Dec. ICtb, 1882, p. 1020.