554 



NATURE 



[February 2?, 191 2 



The apparatus is made to sterilise different units, the 

 largest size beinj? capable of dealing with 600 cubic 

 metres in twenty-four hours. The diaj^^rani practically 

 explains itself. L is the lamp, which is enclosed in a 

 box with rock-crvstal windows. The water to be 





Kiii. 5. 



sterilised, which must, 

 filtered, passes in at R, 



if not clear, be previously 

 and by means of baffling is 

 caused to pass three times past the rays in the steriliser 

 E. In case of the lamp going out, there is a valve S. 

 electromagnetically operated, which opens, and inmu - 

 diately prevents the water from flowing thiuui^li ih ■ 

 sterilising chamber. This apparatus is used at Roiun, 

 where the water for the suburb Maromme-Us-Rouen 

 is sterilised by three units. Several other cities in 

 France are also experimenting with ultra-violet steri- 

 lisation. For small scale work the ultra-violet steri- 

 lisation is very well adapted, but ozone is better for 

 large scale operations. The great advantage of both 

 of these processes is that nothing is added to thr 

 water. With the ultra-violet rays it is a question of 

 killing by means of light. With 

 ozone the sole product remainini^ 

 at the end of the operation i> 

 oxygen. 



Ozone, or ozonised air, is most 

 useful for ventilating^ purposes. 

 The air of crowded rooms i^ 

 dangerous to health from tlv 

 large percentage of noxious 

 organic impurities, many of them 

 bacterial, which it contains. 

 Ordinary ventilation, while mini- 

 mising these, does not entirely di) 

 away with them. If, however, 

 the fresh air driven into the room 

 for ventilation be previously 

 ozonised, the organic impurities 

 become oxidised. Ozonised air is 

 as a matter of fact, very largely 

 employed in the ventilation c 

 theatres and other large publir 

 buildings. Complaint is continu- 

 ally made as to the evil effect ot 

 the atmosphere of the House ot 

 Commons upon the members o' 

 Parliament, and this, in spite 01 

 strenuous efforts on the part of 

 ventilation engineers. Probably 

 the atmosphere would be greatly 

 improved if the ventilating shaft which supplies fresh 

 air to the House had an ozonising apparatus placed 

 in it. At the Turin Exhibition the beneficial effects 

 of ozone were forcibly brought before the notice of 

 the writer. Ozone plant is now being employed in 



NO. 2208, VOL. 88] 



the ventilation of the Tube Railways with benefi< f 

 results. 



Ozone is used in the manufacture of vanillin fi 

 isoeugenol. It has also been found advantaj^eou- 

 brewing. Weak yeast appears to be strengthened 

 ozone and to act more vigorous! 

 the air of the fermenting hous. 

 kept fresh with ozonised air. O/ 

 is used for bleaching oils and fal 

 the results being very striking. 

 is also used for blowing oils si 

 as linseed oil. The bleaching eflf« 

 of ozone has been found useful 

 laundries and for bleaching delics 

 fabrics. Flour is bleached 

 means of 6zone. In this case, hoi 

 ever, as _a rule the apparatus 

 arranged to give at the same tir 

 small quantities of oxides 

 nitrogen. The flour is not > 

 bleached but also sterilised. ' 

 bleached rye meal which conta; 

 24CX) micro-organisms per \:^\ 

 before treatment contained 1600 

 gram after treatment. In an( 

 case, unbleached wheat flour ■ 

 tained 540 organisms before treatment, and 170 ; 

 treatment. 



The maturing effect of ozone on wines and spi 

 is remarkable. Spirit which requires years for ageing 

 is matured in a remarkably short time by emulsifying 

 with ozone. The use of ozone in tobacco fact< • 

 to aid the maturing has also been suggested. 



F. MoLLWO Perkiv 



SEN'ERAL bo<iks, mainly by missionari.. -, ....>< 

 written on particular islands or groups of is! 

 in Melanesia, but with the exception of Dr. Codr 

 ton's "The Melanesians : Studies in their Anthropo 



mmm^m 



:._.rii and his father, 



islands of Ench.ir 



and Folk-lore " (i8gi), there has been no general L 

 on Melanesia, and even Dr. Codrington says vci 



1 " Island:! of Enchantment: Many-sided Melane-i.i." Seen thn 

 Many Eyes, and recorded by Florence Coombe. Pp. .\xvii-f-332. (Lond 

 Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1911.) 12J. net. 



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