Polytechnic Association 747 



treated chemically and washed until free from any sizing material and 

 dried. This prepared cloth was then steeped in a solution of putrid 

 albumen containing abundance of animalcule life, wrung out and 

 drid at the natural temperature ; it was then cut into small pieces rive 

 centimeters square. Each of the pieces was rolled up and introduced 

 into a strong tdass tube which was hermetically sealed. Some of these 

 were exposed to a temperature raised successively to 100, 200, 300, 400, 

 500 and 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Other pieces were placed in pure dis- 

 tilled water, and another series of pieces were placed in tubes containing 

 an albumen solution, each being successively subjected to temperatures 

 varying from 100 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. In all cases it was found 

 that at 300 degrees Fahrenheit vibrios were present in small numbers, 

 while in the water series bacteria were also detected. At 400 degrees 

 Fahrenheit no evidence of life was found. In order to ascertain what 

 changes the calico had undergone, one of each of the small tubes 

 which had been heated to the different temperatures was broken, and 

 its contents carefully examined. The pieces heated to 200 degrees 

 were quite sound, whilst those heated to 300 degrees were of a slightly 

 brown color, much injured, and, for practical purposes, completely 

 spoiled. At 400 degrees the cloth was very much charred. These 

 results show that the temperature which will not destroy germ life is 

 quite sufficient to materially in jure cotton fabric ; hence it is concluded 

 that no beneficial results can be obtained by the employment of public 

 stoves as a means of destroying germ life and contagion. 



Dr. J. "W". Richards — Some experiments have been made in this 

 city in relation to fumigating ships by steam, wherein it was presumed 

 that that would be a perfect and an inexpensive mode of disinfecting 

 them. It seems that it is not effective. There are certain disinfect- 

 ing elements by which vegetables and many animalcules are destroyed 

 at the temperature of boiling water. There are cryptogams which 

 are readily destroyed by boiling water. A bunch of mouldy grapes 

 may be made sweet, safe and pleasant to eat by holding it for a 

 moment in boiling water. I have heard housewives say that boiling 

 clothes will not destroy nits, but that baking them will. 



The President — A very small quantity of carbolic acid will destroy 

 animal and vegetable life. 



Mr. Dudley Blanchard — In Dr. Bastian's experiments on germ life, 

 with a view to ascertain whether animal life could originate by spon- 

 taneous generation, he heated his elements to 212 degrees, which was 

 supposed sufficient to destroy all germs of life. These experiments 



