Oh the Disinfect ing Powers of increased J'emperatures. ^63 



f Hardshaft lode ; g Savvpit lode ; h Lode north of Sawpit 

 Jode. It seems probable that Hardshaft, Middle Engine, and 

 Dunstan's lodes are only ^^ branches" of the Great lode. The 

 dotted lines respectively denote the suspected continuation of 

 the various " lodes" and of the masses of granite ; — these points 

 are said to have been seen by others. The full lines denote 

 what I have seen, the dotted portions what I have not seen. 



XLVII. Experiments on the Disinfecting Poxvers of increased 

 Temperatures., with a view to the Suggestion of a Substitute 

 for Quarantine. By William Henry, M.D. F.R.S. tSc. 



To the Editois of the Philosophical Magazine and Annals. 



Gentlemen, Manchester, Oct. 14, 1831. 



CEVERAL years have elapsed since I was requested, by 

 ^ an eminent merchant of this town* extensively concerned 

 in the importation of Egyptian cotton, to take into conside- 

 ration, whether any effectual method could be devised of 

 ffuardinff against the introduction of the Plague into this 

 country by means ot that raw material, without incurring the 

 serious commercial sacrifices, which then attended the entbrce- 

 ment of the quarantine laws on large cargoes of that article. 

 Chlorine might have been proposed for the purpose ; but it 

 was evidently inapplicable, not only on account of its chemical 

 activity on vegetable substances, but of the necessity of washing 

 and drying the cotton, in order to free it from any adhering 

 portions oi" that powerful agent, the smallest remains of which 

 would be injurious to the spinning machinery. In proposing 

 any new method of destroying contagious matter, it was repre- 

 sented to me as quite essential that it should be incapable of 

 impairing, by its chemical action, the tenacity of the fibre, as 

 this would unfit the raw material for the operations through 

 which it has subsequently to pass. 



By this restriction, the ground for experiment was consider- 

 ably narrowed ; and after giving much attention to the subject, 

 no means occurred to me of effecting the object in view, but 

 that of applying to the raw cotton such a degree of heat as, 

 while it should do no injury to the staple of the article, might 

 yet be sufficient for the destruction of any contagious virus 

 which it migiit have imbibed. 



Tliat the contagion of the plague, supposing it to be present 

 in the state oi' Jbmitcsf, might be rendered innoxious by a 



temperature 



• William (jariictt, Ivcj, 



t Fomitcs (the |iliiial of fmncs, fuel) expresses contagious or infectious 

 3 A 2 mallei- 



