ABSTRACT
The act or art of ventilating is, according to the Oxford Dictionary, to ‘expose to fresh air’ and to ‘cause air to circulate freely in an enclosed space’ (L. ventilatio). As now understood, the purpose may be either to supply the untainted air necessary for human existence or to provide for dispersal of smells, noxious gases and dangerous concentrations of fumes and smoke. It has become practice to avoid the use of the definition fresh air, with its connotation of purity, and to refer instead to outside air leaving open the possibility that pre-treatment may be necessary.
