Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 235 



"There is not a word of evidence in the document before us as 

 to the influence of this solution of nitrate of lead in curing, or ' dis- 

 infecting,' as they call it, by its vicinity, fever or other infectious 

 diseases. Of course no professional man (except Dr. Southwood 

 Smith) could bring himself to support such an absurdity as that 

 would amount to. With respect to the potatoe disease, Dr. Smith 

 has been even less guarded. He manured portions of bis garden 

 with his disinfected night-soil, and finds that potatoes grown on 

 these spots are finer than elsewhere. He says, ' I have this day 

 had specimens of them examined by Mr. Alfred Smee, who pro* 

 nounces them to be at present perfectly healthy.' What! not a 

 single Aphis vastator ! Oh, genius of humbug ! how numerous are 

 thy votaries! Truly, successful speculation constitutes the idolatry 

 of this age, and the wonder-workings of pseudo-science its super- 

 stition." 



" Let us now briefly pass in review some of the evidence detailed in 

 this precious document — some of the ' Letters and Reports received 

 by the Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests,'— set forward 

 in a parliamentary folio, gravely ordered to be printed by the 

 British senate, and consequently paid for by the country. Always 

 premising that we do not deny to this, in common with many other 

 chemical substances*, the power of destroying some unpleasant 

 odours, or, to deal more in the phraseology of the Report, stinks. 

 But against the disgraceful quackery with which this book abounds, 

 — a quackery not equalled by the most offensive and indecent ad- 

 vertisement, — and the humbug of presenting sucii a book to the 

 country, we loudly and strongly protest." 



" We have already alluded to the circumstance that this imposture 

 has been attempted to be bolstered up by the testimony of night- 

 men, dissecting-room porters, ward-men, and other respectable 

 authorities of a similar kind. Some of the experiments made by 

 these intellectual and educated individuals may amuse our readers, 

 as they have doubtless enlivened the House of Commons. Speaking 

 of the contents of a privy — 



" * William Fenwick did, as you gentlemen saw, taste it, and 

 William Dyer put some over his eyes without injuring them : if it 

 had not gone through your process, it would have blinded him ! ! ' 



*' We cannot however pursue a strain of levity when we come to 

 examine the part which a physician of repute has taken in this trans- 

 action. Dr. Southwood Smith, not content with bearing his share 

 in the fooleries of the Report already spoken of, volunteers his in- 

 dividual testimony as to the efficacy of the fluid in obviating con- 

 tagion among i\\2 medical and non-medical attendants on the sick. 



" ' Whatever diflSculties,' he writes, 'your Lordship may have en- 

 countered in obtaining the necessai'y powers to make even any com- 



* Sulphate of copper, nitrate of copper, chloride of copper, guper-nitrate 

 of bismuth, nitrate of lead, nitrate of silver, chloride of gold, protochloride 

 of tin, perchloride of tin, nitrate of mercury. This fluid has been examined 

 by Dr. Aldridge, and found to be a solution of nitrate of lead. Sir W. 

 Burnett has introduced the chloride of zinc for similar purposes in the 

 navy. 



