i24 DISEASES Class II. r. 3. 



wafhings with lime and painting with oil have been directed, I 

 believe with great fuccefs. 



Mr. Cruickfhank has lately recommended two or three parfs 

 of fulphur with one of nitre to be mixed together, and fet in 2 

 room clofe (hut up, and ignited by dropping a lighted coal up- 

 on it ; as the nitre will fupply fumcient oxygen to inflame the 

 fulphur in a clofe apartment, and thus to fill the whole with the 

 fulphurous vapour ; fo as to pafs into every minute aperture of 

 the walls or furniture. 



Another means of fweetening the air of hofpkals, where ma- 

 ny ulcerous patients are crowded together, has beenalfo recom- 

 mended, and might perhaps be ufed with falutary effect to re- 

 ftore the air of piay-houfes, churches, clofe parlours, courts of 

 law, and other places, where many people refort without due 

 ventilation, which confifts in well mixing four ounces of com- 

 mon fait with two ounces of pulverized manganefe in a bafin, 

 to thefe are then to be added about two ounces of water, and af- 

 terwards three ounces of concentrated futphuric acid, in fmall 

 portions at a time ; and when managed in this way the gas is 

 faid not to be in the lead offenfive itfelf, and at the fame time 

 deftroys difagreeable fmells, and perhaps alfo infectious miaf- 

 mata. Medical Review, No. 32. 



The white vapours^ not the red ones, of nitrous acid have been 

 employed with wonderful fuccefs, by Dr. C. Smyth, in the hof- 

 pital fhips, without removing the patients \ fome fand is made 

 hot in crucibles, many of which are brought into the rooms to 

 be fumigated ; in this hot fand is then fet a tea-cup containing 

 about half an ounce of concentrated vitriolic acid, to which, af- 

 ter it had acquired a proper heat, an equal quantity of nitre in 

 powder is gradually added, and the mixture flirred with a glafs 

 ipatula, till the vapour arifes from it in confiderable quantity. 

 The crucible or pipkin is then carried about the wards by the 

 fturfes or convalefcents, who walk about with them, like incenfe- 

 pots, in their hands, and by thus fumigating the fhip morning 

 and night, with the care of warning the beds and clothes, and 

 expofing them to the air, the contagion appeared to be quickly 

 flopped, and the patients already affected foon recovered. 



If any metalic veffel be ufed, the white nitrous vapour be- 

 comes red, and what was falutary before becomes now noxious, 

 as is obferved by Mr. Keir, in his letter on this fuhject, who 

 adds, that though much vital air is extricated from the mixture, 

 he rather afcribes its good erred: to the known property of alj 

 mineral acids in (topping the procefTes of fermentation and pu- 

 trefaction ; as the contagious miafmata are prefumed to confii't 



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