Procefs for deftroying Contagion. 69 
ments made on board the Union and other fhips at Sheer- 
nefs, are worthy of attention, and cannot be too ftrongly 
recommended to the notice of every perfon who wifhes to be 
mafter of a fimple and efficacious method for deftroying con- 
tagion, or preventing it from breaking out, where there may 
be reafon to fear, from concurring circumftances, that there 
is a danger of fuch an evil manifefting itfelf. 
_ The experiment on board the Union was conduéted by 
“Mr. Menzies, late furgeon to his majefty’s {loop Difcovery, 
and by Mr. Baffan, furgeon of the Union; and when it is 
confidered, that frefh contagion was daily pouring into the 
hofpital from the Ruffian veffels, which were at that time 
lying in the Downs, and which had brought with them a 
' fpecies of fever that might in every fenfe of the word be 
termed an epidemy, it will be allowed, that the fuccefs which 
attended it was fuch that it cannot be too generally known. 
The wards were extremely crowded, and the fick of every 
defcription lay in cradles, promifcuoufly arranged, to the 
number of nearly two hundred ; of which, about one hun- 
dred and fifty were in different {tages of the above malignant 
fever, which was extremely contagious, as appeared evident 
from its rapid progrefs and fatal effets, among the attend- 
ants on the fick, and the fhip’s company. - 
The utenfils and materials provided for the procefs were 
the following: A quantity of fine fand, about two dozen 
quart earthen pipkins, as many common tea-cups, fome 
long flips of glafs to be ufed as fpatulas, a quantity of con- 
centrated vitriolic (fulphuric) acid, and a quantity of pure 
nitre (nitrat of potafh). 
The procefs was conduéted in the following manner: 
ift, All the ports and f{cuttles were fhut up; the fand, which 
had been previoufly heated in iron pots, was then fcooped 
out into the pipkins by means of an iron ladle; and in this 
heated fand, in each pipkin, a {mall tea~cup was immerfed, 
containing about half an ounce of the fulphuric acid, to 
which, after it had acquired a proper degree of heat, an 
equal quantity of nitrat of potafh in powder was gradually 
F 3 added, 
