350 JUMIGATIONS TO DESTROY CONTAGION. 



ions, though in fact it is applied only to a vessel kept ready 

 to be opened when necessary, and which in this view might 

 be called a box of salubrity ; but the name is of little im- 

 portance, and I leave it to custom to settle this, so the thing 

 itself be adopted. 



In reciting the numerous experiments I made in one of 

 our hottest summers on considerable bodies of air contami- 

 nated by sanious putrefaction, I announced, that I took 

 the precaution frequently to leave open in my laboratory a 

 very large phial, containing the mixture above mentioned 

 for the extemporaneous production of oxigenized muriatic 

 The mixture acid gas. This phial, which had since been neglected, hav- 



SSSoxhniwi- * n S f allen m m y wav a f ew tojfa a §°> I was surprised, on 

 atic acid gas a taking out thestopplc, at the strength of the gas it still fur- 

 long wi e. njshed after the expiration of two years. This convinced 

 ' me, that the mixture, kept in sufficient quantity in large 

 vessels, would supply the place of all fumigations to destroy 

 contagion, and answer the purpose as effectually, without 

 trouble, expense, or inconvenience, and without its being 

 necessary to renew the preparation till after a considerable 

 time, even in cases where it would be most frequently ne- 

 cessary to give issue to the gas. 

 Necessary con- ^ * s ODV i° us ? that the capacity of the vessel must be pro- 

 ditions. portionate to the extent of the space to be purified, and its 



aperture sufficiently large, to give instantly the volume of 

 gas required; that is to say, so as to extend to every part, 

 without too powerfully affecting those who are nearest to it. 

 .Lastly, the gas must be so confined, that it cannot burst 

 out, or even escape imperceptibly : in a word, so that it 

 will only diffuse itself around when we wish it, cease to be 

 diffused at pleasure, and remain for months without its pre- 

 sence being suspected. 

 Easily obtain- ^ these conditions are easily obtainable for the largest 

 able. hospital ward by the means 1 am about to describe. 



Apparatus de- Take one of those very thick flint glass tumbers, which 

 scribed. are comm(m in the shops, of 11 or 12 cent. [4*3 or 4-7 



inches] high, and 10 ^3'9 in.^ in diameter; holding about 

 7 decil. [i*47 wine pint]. Grind the edge so that it may 

 be closed by apiece of plate glass. Cement the bottom of 

 the tumbler into a piece of wood, which is to be made fast 



by 



