Mr. LEWIS W. LEEDS was employed early in the war of the rebellion
by the Sanitary Commission, as an agent to urge the necessity to
the health and strength of the army, of the thorough ventilation
of tents and quarters, and to devise and suggest to the proper
officers the adoption of the best means for this purpose.
At a later period of the war, at the suggestion of the Commission,
the Quartermaster's Department engaged his services, and gave him
large discretionary powers for the ventilation of hospitals. He
was thus employed during all of the war, with great advantage,
and the improvements which he brought about were unquestionably
the means of saving thousands of lives. * * * *
Mr. Leeds has a special talent for making improvements in houses of
ordinary construction, by means which may be readily adopted, and
with materials which may be anywhere procured without difficulty
or great expense.
Mr. Leeds' course of lectures on Ventilation is calculated to
supply instructions of great practical utility. An invaluable
addition to the health, happiness and wealth of the nation
would result, if they could be delivered before every school in
the country.
FRED. LAW OLMSTED,
First General Secretary of the Sanitary Commission.
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Treasury Department,
Office of the Supervising Architect, Sept. 11th, 1867.
My Dear Friend.
Your valuable Lectures on Ventilation have been received, and have
been read with much pleasure, more especially as you are about
the only person I have ever met, who, after making the ventilation
and heating of buildings a specialty, has condescended to follow
the laws of nature, and provide the means of adapting them to our
artificial modes of life. Your lectures show a thorough study
and knowledge of the principles involved, which are, like all
natural principles, very simple if once understood. I have also
to take this means of acknowledging the valuable aid that I have
received from you on many occasions, and to express a hope that
you will not despair, but relying on the adage that "truth is
mighty" &c., go on with your exposures of the absurdities of the
complicated and costly humbugs that are so fashionable at present,
and trust you will succeed not only in your missionary labors,
but find them pecuniarily profitable.
Very respectfully,
A. B. MULLETT,
Supervising Architect.
LEWIS W. LEEDS, Esq.,
Engineer Ventilation and Heating,
Germantown, Penn'a.
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