ON CHARCOAL AS A DISINFECTANT, 



BY T. B. AYRES, M. D. L. 



The beneficial action and use of charcoal as a disin- 

 fectant and dpodoiizer, in the improvement of the sa- 

 nitary condition of towns is now generally admitted, 

 and several important practical essays on this impor- 

 tant subject have recently issued from the press in Eu- 

 rope. As peat-charcoal is now largely employed as a 

 disinfectant of night soil in this town, and as charcoal 

 from another source has been adopted, at my sugges- 

 tion, by the sanitary Committee and the Extraordinary 

 Board of Health, it becomes important that the mode 

 of action of this substance should be clearly and gene- 

 rally understood. 



The really astonishing conservative power of poAvde- 

 red wood charcoal ovet animal substances has been long 

 known. By surrounding a point of meat or even a per- 

 fect animal with powdered charcoal, it may be comple- 

 tely preserved from putrefaction for several months. 

 The similar preservative action, and complete deodoriz- 

 ing and disinfecting power of charcoal when mixed 

 with night soil or animal matter in a putrefied state 

 has in like manner been long a familiar fact. The 

 power possessed by charcoal of absorbing, condensing 

 within its pores and ultimately destroying foul emana- 

 tions from foetid wounds and ulcers has proved of the 

 greatest utility in Civil Military Hospitals, by purifying 

 the atmosphere and it has been found that dishes or 

 shallow pans of powdered charcoal placed in sick-rooms 

 or wards suffice to render the atmosphere sweet and 

 wholesome. 



It will be the object of this Essay to examine the 

 question, hoAv charcoal exerts the conservative power 

 in preventing putrefaction, and not only deodorises but 

 absolutely destroys the malificent emanations from pu- 

 trefying animal and vegetable substances. 



Before, however, Ave enter on the question of the 



