236 On Diseases and Accidents of Farmers, 



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near the bottoms of wells and vaults. The means oi 

 ascertaining its presence, and of removing it, are simple 

 and certain. i\s the air in question cannot support com- 

 bustion, it is only necessary 'to let down a lighted candle 

 into the well, when, if it be extinguished, death will be 

 the certain fate of any one who descends, while, if it con- 

 tinue to burn, no danger need be apprehended. To re- 

 move the air, the following plans have been adopted with 

 success :■ — 1. Attach a rope to a pine or cedar-bush, and 

 let it descend to the bottom of the well, passing the rope 

 over a windlass set across the mouth of the well. One 

 or more persons should then lay hold of the rope, and 

 run as speedily as possible from the well, until the bush 

 is drawn out. 



2. Attach a stout cloth in form of a scoop-net, to a hoop, 

 a little less than the diameter of the well, and fasten three 

 cords to it, at equal distances from one another, each to 

 be about the length of the diameter of the hoop, and knot 

 their ends together. Let this down the well, by a stout 

 line over a windlass, and taking hold of one end of it, let a 

 person, as in the former instance, run away quickly from 

 the well's mouth. In either way, the creation of a current 

 of air will cause the noxious gas to be drawn up. The 

 experiment should be made twice or thrice, with either 

 bush or hoop, and a candle let down to test its success. 

 It is extremely important to add, that this deadly air is 

 sometimes produced in the course of an hour,* and 

 therefore every morning, during the progress of repairing, 

 cleaning, or digging a well, or after a short cessation of 

 work, a candle should be let down, previously to the 

 descent of a workman. 



In case a person should be taken out of a well in a 



* An intelligent well-uigger of Philadelphia, informed me, 

 that he has often known the foul air to form, while the men 

 were gone to dinner. 



