History of Mechanical Inventions], S^6J 157 



Art. XIX— history OF MECHANICAL INVENTIONS 

 AND OF PROCESSES AND MATERIALS USED IN 

 THE FINE AND USEFUL ARTS. 



On the Application of Steam lo the purposes of destroying 

 all Kinds of Vermin on Board Ships. 



The destructive ravages of white ants, when once they find 

 their way on board the vessels in India, have long been the 

 bane of that description of property, aggravated too by the 

 secrecy with which their operations are frequently carried on, 

 and by the absence of all means of prevention. Property of 

 acknowledged value, to the extent at times of above a lac of 

 rupees, has become, on the presence of this destructive animal 

 being discovered, almost valueless ; since hitherto, when once 

 known to have infested a vessel, no instance, we believe, has 

 occurred of their ever having been wholly extirpated ; thus 

 not only attaching a suspicious character to the vessel, but oc- 

 casioning continued, and sometimes very heavy and expensive 

 repairs. Indeed it is scarcely possible even to trace the ex- 

 tent of the evil with any degree of certainty. A ship may un- 

 dergo a very heavy repair of damages occasioned by the ants, 

 and every possible means may be adopted with a view to as- 

 certain the existence of further damage, without success ; yet 

 a very few weeks may show another part of the vessel to be 

 infested to a great extent, rendering necessary a yet further 

 repair. 



It may reasonably be supposed, that such destruction of 

 property would not be permitted to continue, without some 

 attempts at a remedy ; of these, the most effectual have hither- 

 to been the application of extreme cold, or sinking. 



The former of course could only be carried into execution 

 by sending the vessel infested to a cold climate, there to be 

 laid up for a winter. Independent of the loss occasioned by 

 the non-employment of the vessel, the remedy has never been, 

 we believe, complete. A stop has been put to their ravages 

 for a time, but a return to a warm country has shown that the 

 animals have not been effectually destroyed ; either they have 

 merely been reduced to a state of torpidity, or if the living 

 animal has been destroyed, the eggs have not been deprived 



