CHEMISTRY. 213 



faction is duo to the presence of microscopical vegetables or ani- 

 mals, whicli, during; their vitality, decompose or chanf^e the or- 

 ganic substances, so as to produce the effects which we witness, 

 and carbolic acid exercises a most powerful destructive action upon 

 these microscopic and primitive sources of life. Carbolic acid, 

 therefore, is an antiseptic and disinfectant much more active and 

 much more rational than those s^enerally in use. 



"And allow me further to add that disinfectants, such as chlo- 

 rine, permanganate of potash, or Condy's fluid, operate by oxi- 

 dizing not only the gaseous products given off by putrefaction, but 

 all organic matters with which they may come in contact; whilst 

 carbolic acid, on the contrary, merely destroys the causes of pu- 

 trefaction, without acting on the organic substances. The gn^it 

 difference which, therefore, distinguishes them, is, that the former 

 deals with the effects, the latter with the causes. Again, these 

 small microscopic beings, these ferments, are alwa3"s in small 

 quantities as compared to the substances on which they act ; con- 

 ' sequently a very small quantity of carbolic acid is necessary to 

 prevent the decomposition of substances : therefore its employ- 

 ment is both efficacious and economical. iVIoreover, carbolic acid 

 is volatile ; it meets with and destroys, as Dr. Jules Lemaire says, 

 the germs or sporules which float in the atmosphere, and vitiate 

 it, and this cannot be the case with Condy's fluid, chloride of zinc 

 or iron, which act only by contact, and are mere deodorizers. 

 This is why carbolic acid was used with such marked success, and 

 therefore so largely, in England, Belgium, and Holland, during 

 the prevalence of cholera and of the cattle plague. The antisep- 

 tic properties of carbolic acid are so ])owerful that one one- 

 thousandth, even one five-thousandth will prevent the decompo- 

 sition, fermentation, or putrefaction for months of urine, blood, 

 glue solution, flour paste, fgeces, etc., etc. ; in fact, its vapor alone 

 is sufficient to preserve meat in confined spaces for weeks ; a little 

 vapor of this useful substance will preserve meat for several days 

 in the ordinary atmosphere, and prevent it being fly-blown; 

 lastly, one ten-thousandth has been found sufficient to keep sew- 

 age sweet. 



*' Manufacturers have not yet availed themselves of one tithe of 

 the valuable properties of carbolic acid, and in this direction a new 

 field is open to its use; still I may cite a few instances. The 

 preservation of wood has been already referred to, and, thanks to 

 its use, the great trade in skins and bones from Australia, Monte- 

 video, Buenos Ayres, etc., is benefited. Wild animals living 

 there in herds are slaughtered by thousands. Formerly they came 

 to us in a bad state, half putrid, emitting an insupportable odor, 

 and only fit for manure ; in this state their price was not more 

 than 150 francs the 1,000 kilogrammes; now, thanks to carbolic- 

 acid treatment, they arrive perfectly preserved ; they can be em- 

 ployed for all the uses to which green or raw bones are usually 

 applied, and the value of bones is raised as much as from 250 

 to 300 francs. Hides also arrive putrid, unless they have been 

 dried rapidly in the sun or salted, which necessitated a long and 

 costly operation ; whilst it is onlj' necessary to immerse them for 



