eng. of the Atmosphere. 95 
doubtless, a diminution of its excessive quantity could not fail to be 
a benefit. 
The results of the study of the several other atmospheres, and 
their effects upon the health of those abiding in them, were 
described at length in my paper. A brief summary is all that can 
be given here. In “shirt-factory air,” fine filaments and fragments 
of cotton and linen were found, with a few minute ova, not gene- 
rally dispersed. These were translucent, and varied from ;1,;th of 
an inch to z¢ooth of an inch, having been measured. The girls 
employed in the factory had become snuff-takers. In the atmo- 
sphere of “thrashing mills,” fibres and fragments of chaff, awns, 
grain, together with some smut-balls, were found. In that of oat- 
meal mills, fibres were seen present in unexpected number, together 
with minute fragments of the pericarp of the caryopsis and starch- 
granules, with occasional spores and acari. This air was not so 
injurious as that of “flour mills,” the dust beg less. The atmo- 
sphere of mills where flax is “scutched” was found to be so bad 
that these mills could only be regarded as human slaughter-houses. 
Fine branchy filaments of the liber were present, with pointed par- 
ticles of the hard, brittle. wood-tissue ; so that direct injury was 
done to the lung by these, and concretions formed by the filaments. 
The workers suffered much, and sanitary reformers and inspectors 
may be asked to adopt a plan whereby the men can be freed 
from this by causing the “ stoor,” or dust, to be partitioned off from 
them and sent out backwards. In the air of printing offices, from 
various symptoms observed, antimony was believed to be present. 
In consequence, some dust taken from a rafter 11 feet above the 
floor, was submitted to the secretary of the Royal Irish Academy, 
Professor W. K. Sullivan, whose analysis confirmed the accuracy of 
the expectation. Antimony was found, and no lead. In the “atmo- 
sphere of stables” were found moth-scales, some larva, eggs, spores, 
and a great quantity of cuticle-scales and fragments of fine hairs, 
with some corpuscles and fragments tinged blood-red. An acarus 
was present in the dust. Hairdressers had a similar atmosphere, 
so far as its distinctive elements, scales and hairs, were concerned. 
The “machine brush” increased their amount. 
The next atmosphere was that of the dissecting hall. Frag- 
ments and fibres were found present, with the mark of the scalpel on 
them! There were fibrils of voluntary and of involuntary muscles, 
of white and yellow fibrous tissue; some epithelial scales, fat cells, 
corpuscles, fine fragments of hair, and inchoate particles. It was a 
somewhat ghastly revelation ; but might be of advantage by induc- 
ing those in authority to ventilate thoroughly and disinfect daily, 
Tobacco-smoke, with some difficulty, was got under the micro- 
scope. It was examined on entering and on leaving the mouth, 
Little globules of nicotine were discovered twirling and flitting 
