Dry Rot in Timber. 51 



impervous substance, and in only one of the cases to he described 

 had the building been so treated. 



Dumfries County Buildings. 



An attack of drv rot in this building was due to accident. 

 A water pipe at the top of the house burst, and the water escaping 

 ran down the wall through four storeys, into the earth beneath 

 the basement floor. Dry rot fungus shortly made its appearance, 

 but was promptly eradicated, and with a view to preventing recur- 

 rence of the disease, a ventilating opening was dri\-en through the 

 wall in the space under the basement floor, affording a copious 

 supply of fresh air and some light. Notwithstanding such pro- 

 vision, however, the fungus again sprung up in the earth beneath 

 the floor, and immediately in the face of the open ventilator. 

 This may have been due to the moist state of the earth, but other 

 similar occurrences appear to prove that fresh air is not always 

 an effective antidote. 



A Private House. 



This was a large, sound, well-built and well-seasoned house, 

 containing spacious, airy, and dry apartments, free from any 

 predisposing symptoms. Owing, however, to an accident, as in 

 the preceding case, the disease was introduced, and resulted in 

 great and serious damage. During winter the house was un- 

 occupied, when a water pipe burst in time of frost, seriously 

 saturating the rooms, and the accident not being observed for 

 some time the disease gained hold and spread rapidly to different 

 parts of the building. Root-like tendrils crept along the wall of 

 one apartment towards the entrance hall, passed through a brick 

 wall, and continued their course across the hall under the stone 

 pavement, and through another brick wall into the adjoining 

 room. There seemed to be no limit to the spreading of these 

 fibres so long as predisposing conditions remained. On the stone 

 pavement of the floor of the hall being removed, a network of 

 shoots one quarter inch thick and less, of a blackish-brown 

 colour, twisted in all directions, was exhibited spread over the 

 area. The house was in danger of total destruction. 



St. Michael's Church, Dumfries. 

 This is an instructive example, illustrating the baleful effects 



