142 



Gravel in Swine. — Caution to Millers, fyc. Vol. VII. 



mixed with the green-sand earth, to form 

 still more gypsum, by the decomposition and 

 destruction of either or both these salts, 

 which are poisonous to soil and to vegetation. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Gravel in Swine.— The Lard Lamp. 



Messrs. Editors, — Your correspondent 

 over the signature Agricola, page 216, vol 

 6, of Cabinet, will be interested to find that 

 the disease of which he speaks, namely, gra- 

 vel in swine, has been noticed by General 

 Mansfield, of Delaware, who lost, while fat- 

 ting the last year, three hogs by that malady. 

 These were all males or barrows, and a por- 

 tion of the concreted substance found in the 

 urethra, has been preserved by him for ex- 

 amination and exhibition. 



With me there is not the slightest doubt, 

 that the worm in the kidney is identical 

 with the gravel in hogs; should this be sat- 

 isfactorily ascertained, it is presumed that 

 the disease might be removed, or at least 

 the symptoms alleviated, by the same means 

 that are adopted for the relief of the hu- 

 man species, in this exceedingly distress- 

 ing complaint, of which few, comparatively, 

 die, although it is known that the disorder is 

 very prevalent ; while it is worthy observa- 

 tion, few hogs, when decidedly affected in 

 this way, ever recover. 



When the General related this circum- 

 stance, he added ; " One of these hogs I ren- 

 dered, for the purpose of making cart grease; 

 now, in such a case, I should render them 

 all, and burn them in lard lamps," — a mode 

 of management which will be found of im- 

 mense importance to the agriculturist; every 

 one having been made sensible of the liability 

 he is under of losing animals by disease while 

 fatting. And this leads me to mention with 

 commendation, the lard lamp invented and 

 patented by E. S. Archer, 32 N. Second st, 

 Philadelphia, having had one of them in con- 

 stant use for a month past, which has given 

 much satisfaction ; observing, that by this 

 lamp, lard, after it has become rancid, or dis- 

 coloured by fire, whilst rendering, can be 

 burnt without smoke or disagreeable smell. 

 The mode of conducting heat to the bottom 

 of the lard by a copper tube, closed on the 

 top and reaching to the flame of the lamp, 

 by which the heat is prevented from escape 

 until it has passed through the body of the 

 lard, causing a constant ebullition upwards 

 and through it, is very ingenious; forming 

 a sort of argand burner. The stream of 

 rarefied air forced through the copper tube 

 to the bottom of the lard, passing through it 

 and escaping by the wick, causes the smoke 

 to be consumed in its passage through the 



flams; and the wick might be elevated so 

 as to give a great volume of flame, without 

 causing the least unpleasant smell or smoke 

 whatever. I consider, therefore, the intro- 

 duction of the lard lamp into the establish- 

 ment of the farmer, an epoch in the economy 

 of his household, of great importance to hia 

 future prosperity. D. 



Cantwell's bridge, November 24th, 1842. 



From the Western Farmer and Gardener. 



Caution to Millers and Consumers of 

 Bread. 



Mobile, July 17th, 1842. 



To Dr. M. W. Philips,— About a month 

 ago, a number of negroes on the plantatron 

 of James G. Lyon, near Mobile, were seized 

 with violent pains and cramp in the stomach, 

 fainting fits, irritability of stomach, obstinate 

 constipation, some with convulsions and palsy 

 of the limbs, little or no fever, &c. ; in short, 

 all the symptoms which belong to what has 

 been called Lead, or Painter's colic. 



In a short time nearly every negro on the 

 place was seized with similar symptoms, and 

 it became evident that there must be some 

 extraordinary cause at work. On investiga- 

 tion, the corn meal which they had been eat- 

 ing, was found to contain lead which had 

 been ground up with it, — half a pint of lead 

 was picked out of a bushel and a half of meal. 



On going to the mill and examining the 

 stones, it was found that the miller had, for 

 the purpose of balancing and fixing it, poured 

 several pounds of melted lead into the eye of 

 the runner stone, and this had worked loose, 

 got between the stones, and was ground itp 

 with the meal! The whole mystery was 

 solved at once. 



Now sir, I am informed that it is a very 

 common thing for millers to use lead in this 

 way, and I have no doubt that very many 

 persons have been poisoned without ever 

 being able to account for it, and the symp- 

 toms have been looked upon and treated as 

 bilious colic, or some other disease. 



I have just met with a similar fact, recorded 

 in one of my foreign journals. — a whole family 

 had symptoms like those I have enumerated 

 above, and on analysis, the flour they had 

 been eating was found to contain lead. 



Mr. Lyon has already lost four valuable 

 hands, and a considerable number of others 

 are almost entirely helpless from palsy in 

 their limbs, some of whom will either die or 

 remain useless for life. 



When I say to you that every man, woman 

 and child, is in daily danger of being poisoned 

 by such ignorance or negligence, I have, I 

 hope, said enough to impress upon your readers 

 the importance of inquiring closely into this 

 matter. Yours, &c, J. C. Nott, M. D. 



