1855.] 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



219 



year.* Since that period experiments have been made by Mr. Barford, 

 at Bartholomew's Hospital. The particulars were published in the 

 Lancet a few weeks siuce. The writer, after describing the substances 

 possessing the property of deodorising and disinfecting, and the chepi^ 

 cal action on which they respectively depend, and also pointing out 

 their several defects, adds, that they are all open to serious objections ; 

 but the one which practically will be found the most effectual, I believe, 

 has received the least patronage. This is charcoal, a body whose dis- 

 infecting powers have long been known, but its mode of application has 

 been quite neglected. A most perfect trial has been made in the dis- 

 secting rooms of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, which must abound in 

 noxious gases and putrescent odours. On thoroughly heating the 

 chai-coal and placing it in shallow vessels about the rooms, it acted so 

 pi-omptly, that in ten minutes not the least diffused smell could bi 

 detected. So quick and effectual was its action, that arrangements 

 have been made for its constant use. As a purifier of hospital wards, 

 both civil and military, it might be applied with great advantage, 

 saving patients from the unpleasant smells and effluvia from gangrenous 

 wounds ; thus the patient himself and those in adjacent beds, would 

 not be subjected to the influence of putrescent odours. All these the 

 charcoal would eflectually absorb. Charcoal is more efficacious than 

 any other disinfectant when applied in the manner described, absorbing 

 gases of every kind. It does not require the presence of any other 

 substance to assist its action, but without stint or scruple collects 

 noxious vapours from every source, not disguising, but condensing and 

 oxydising the most offensive gases and poisonous effluvia, converting 

 them into simple, inert, stable compounds. It is easy of application, 

 and is economical, comes within the reach of the poorest, and can be 

 safely placed iu the hands of the most ignorant, thus combining advan- 

 tages not possessed by any other disinfectant. 



Mr. Barford also described a process for purifying the charcoal, so 

 as to renew its powers, but this need not be practised, for the charcoal 

 after being used in the hospitals, is more valuable as a manure, by 

 reason of the gases it has absorbed ; thus its use need not entail any 

 expense on such establishments. This brings us to the consideration 

 of charcoal as a manure, for which purpose it is likely to become an 

 important agent, especially from the circumstance of its possessing 

 such intense affinity for nitrogenous gases and aqueous vapom-. 



Professor Liebig states that peat and spent bark are most difficult 

 forms of organic matter to deal with as manure ; that peaty matter 

 remains for years exposed to the influence of air and water without 

 undergoing change, and in this state yields little or no nutriment to 

 plants. Recent experience has, however, shown that when organic 

 matters, such as peat and spent tan, are converted into charcoal, they 

 become exceedingly valuable as vehicles for the transmission of water, 

 nitrogenous compounds, carbonic acid, &c., to the plants, first separ- 

 ating these matters from the atmosphere, and again yielding them up 

 when required. 



The mode of applying charcoal as manure is simple ; it should be 

 ground to a coarse powder, and then strewn over farm yards, manure 

 heaps, stables, cow-houses, pig-styes, cess-pools, or placed in manure 

 tanks, urinals, &c. 



It is suitable for being applied, also, without mixture by the drill or 

 broad cast, in the proportion of 4 to 7 cwt. per acre, to all green and 

 corn crops, and will be found a valuable addition to most soUs, espe- 

 cially those which are composed of claj'. 



Perhaps I may be permitted to make a short digression, for the pur- 

 pose of introducing to your notice another preparation of peat ; this is 

 peat manure produced by steeping the peat fresh from the bog in a 

 solution of caustic alkali ; it is then dried and ground. 



Contrary to the general opinion of writers on agricultural chemistry, 

 that the atmospliere and water are the sources from whence vegetables 

 derive their carbon, I entertain the opinion, that they would at all 

 times take up a large proportion of their carbon by the roots, whenever 

 it is presented in soluble compounds, such as organic matters dissolved 

 by means of alkalies, in which condition it has been found, by actual 

 experiment, that growing plants do take up and assimilate the carbon 

 of such compounds, when they are applied in a suitable form. 



In the substance I have now the honour of submitting to your notice, 

 a very large portion of the inert peaty matter, described by Liebig, us 

 being so difficult of treatment and slow of change, is rendered soluble 

 by the process I have described ; not only so, but the remaining organic 

 matters are in a condition to undergo rapid change. We have in this 

 powder from 50 to 00 per cent, of organic matter combined ■with salts 

 of soda, and nitrogenous compounds soluble in water, this, surely, can- 



*Vidf ".lournal of tbe Society of Arts," Vol. ii. p. 245. 



not fail to become a most important addition to our list of artificial 

 manures. Sea-weed treated in the same manner yields still more 

 remarkable results. 



Trusting to be excused for this digression, I will return to the sub- 

 ject of charcoal. Some of the sawdust charcoal, of which a sample is 

 on the table, has been manufactured into gunpowder of a very fine 

 quality, but strange to say, there is little probability of its being gene- 

 rally used by powder manufacturers. With one honourable exception, 

 all those whose attention I have called to this article, have declined to 

 use it, or to adopt sawdust as a material for the manufacture of char- 

 coal. One firm informed me that they never introduce any novelty 

 until it has been fully approved by the Government ; another used only 

 elder ; others restrict themselves to oak, willow, or dog wood, for the 

 manufacture of charcoal, each firm enjoying the opinion that no other 

 wood is fit for making powder of superior quality but the special kind 

 they individually use ; and then, why should they make any alteration 

 for their fathers and grandfathers did the same before them. This 

 will serve to show the difficulty that sometimes exists in introducing 

 novelties, and getting them adopted by established manufacturers. 



In conclusion, I trust I have furnished you with some points for 

 discussion, which I consider the principal object of this paper. 



Should it be my lot, in the ordering of an All-wise Providence, to bo 

 made the humble instrument of developing the resources of our bogs, 

 and other unapplied and unappreciated products, to assist in raising 

 the people of Ireland to a just appreciation of the vast mines of wealth 

 that abound in their favoured land, it will be a source of satisfaction 

 to me to the latest period of my life, independent of any pecuniary 

 advantage I may derive. 



CANADIAN INSTITUTE-SESSION 1854.55. 



Elcvcutli Ordinary Mccting^'IUtarcli Snl, 1855* 



The name of the following candidate for membership was read : — 

 J. W. Dunbar Moo^e County of Hastings. 



The following gentlemen were elected members : — 



D. L. Macpherson Toronto. 



Patrick Macgregor " 



Alexander Grant " 



Alexander Logic Hamilton. 



James Dunbar Fringle " 



Thos. S. Hunt Montreal. 



The following donations were announced from tlio Hon. J. M. Brod- 

 bcad, Washington : — 



1. Foster and Whitney's Report on the Geology of the Lake Superior 

 Land District. Part II. The Iron District, with Maps. 



2. Constitution of the United States of America, with other Political 

 Documents and Statistical Information, completed by W. Ilickey. 



3. Patent Office Report for the year 1852. Partll. Agriculture. 



