Factories Not Unhealthy—And Short Chimneys As Good As Tall Ones

An inquiry instituted by the Belgian government merits attention. For some years a notion had grown into a belief that certain manufactories were prejudicial to health and vegetation, and so much disquiet arose thereupon, especially in the province of Namur, that the governor reported it to the home department at Brussels. A commission was appointed, two chemists and two botanists, who, commencing their inquiry in June, 1855, pursued it carefully for several months, confining themselves to factories in which sulphuric acid, soda, copperas, and chloride of lime were made. The two chemists watched the processes, and noted the escape of gases from the chimneys. They consider soda-factories to be the most noxious, and tall chimneys more hurtful than short ones, because of the greater surface over which they diffuse the vapors; and tall chimneys, by quickening the draught, discharge gases which otherwise would be absorbed in the passage. Hence, contrary to the commonly received opinion in this country, they hold that there is less dispersion of deleterious vapors with a short chimney than a tall one.

The botanists on their part show, as might be anticipated, that the effect on vegetation is most shown in the direction of the prevalent winds, and more during rains and fogs than in clear weather. They establish beyond a doubt the hurtful influence of smoke, due to the presence of hydrochloric and sulphuric acid, and they find that the greatest distance at which the mischief is observable is 2000 metres (a little over an English mile); the least 600 meters. They enumerate thirty-four kinds of trees which appear to be most susceptible of harm, beginning with the common hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus), and ending with the alder; and between these two occur, in sequence, beech, sycamore, lime, poplar, apple, rose, and hop. As regards the effect on the health of men and animals, the commission find the proportion of deaths per cent. to be lower now in the surrounding population than before the factories were established: from 1 in 58 it has fallen to 1 in 66. One reason for this improvement may consist in the better means of living arising out of the wages earned in the factories. However, the commission wind up their report with an assurance that health, either of men or horses, suffers nothing from the factories, and vegetation so little, that farmers and graziers may dismiss their fear, and the government refrain from interfering.