SS4 hitelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



a Parisian chemist, in concert, it would appear, with a Mr. F. C. 

 Calvert, who seems to have received his education as a chemist at 

 Paris, and who is now lecturer at the Royal Institution of Man- 

 chester. This discovery, which, under the auspices of Lord Mor- 

 peth, has been submitted to the most searching tests by Dr. South- 

 wood Smith, Mr. Toynbee and Mr. Grainger, promises fair to be 

 one of the greatest boons ever conferred on suffering humanity. The 

 discovery is nothing less than the means of disinfecting all foetid 

 animal substances and gases by a liquid which is very cheap, simple, 

 and can be applied by any person with the greatest facility. 



" The three medical gentlemen appointed by Lord Morpeth to 

 inquire into the real value of M. Ledoyen's discovery, present us in 

 their report with a dismal catalogue of the offensive and dangerous 

 vapours from animal and vegetable substances which at all hours 

 infect the air we breathe, in a greater or less degree, accordingly 

 as we moreor less neglect their impure origins." "The Commissioners 

 state that they have tried the effect of this fluid, — 1, on substances 

 already in a state of decomposition ; 2, on substances undergoing 

 that process ; 3, on night soil ; 4, on impure air. In every instance 

 excepting the second these experiments have been attended with the 

 most miracidous result." *' It would almost seem that some mysterious 

 power had sent us M. Ledoyen and his discovery to compensate for 

 the shortcomings of the Premier and Lord Morpeth*." 



So far The Times. — We now give a few extracts from the Dublin 

 Journal, and refer our readers to the article which it contains for 

 the details of the means by which these puffs have been procured, 

 and for a full account of the matter. 



This boasted discovery professes to furnish "the means of disin- 

 fecting all foetid animal substances and gases by a liquid which is 

 very cheap, simple, and can be applied by any person with the 

 greatest facility. It disinfects night-soil, not destroying but in- 

 creasing vegetation, more particularly as regards agriculture, com- 

 pletely preventing the disease in potatoes when the land is manured 

 with disinfected night-soil. It disinfects hospital-wards of miasma ; 

 also cellars, water-closets, and buildings infected by impure gases. 

 It disinfects sailors suffering from fever on board of vessels ; it will 

 also disinfect ships at sea, and under quarantine. It disinfects 

 patients suffering with infectious disorders and wounds, also dead 

 bodies, so that they may be kept nearly a month ; also different 

 parts of the body can be kept for the purposes of dissection, for 

 coroners' inquests, &c." 



* No wonder that competitors should have started up asserting their 

 claims to 80 wonderful a discovery. Mr. W. Maddick thus begins his letter 

 to the Editor of the Times; of whose judgement in matters of science he 

 seems to have a most exalted opinion: 



" Siu,— All the world knows that a laudatory notice in your columns is a 

 very high honour; and as in your excellent leader of yesterday you have 

 highly eulogized Messrs. Ledoyen and Calvert for their alleged discovery, 

 I appeal with confidence to the proverbial justice ofThe Times, <kc. &c. 



" I boldly claim originality in this matter, and challenge these gentlemen, 

 or any other," &c., &c. 



