501 



sphere in large quantities during thunder storms. Now, as 

 these storms generally occur in hot weather, when the air 

 is more or less stagnant, and putrefaction goes on with 

 the greatest rapidity, it would appear that they effected 

 other important objects besides refreshing the soil. It cer- 

 tainly would tend to diminish the amount of putrid matters 

 in the atmosphere. Schonbein has shown that atmospheric 

 air very often contains this powerful agent ; and he attributes 

 all the phenomena of bleaching, and other forms of oxydiza 

 tion, to its presence. If such really be the case, we should 

 at once perceive that the air contained within itself the 

 elements of its own purification ; and certainly, judging from 

 the beautiful manner in which all the phenomena of nature 

 are adjusted for our good, nothing appearing in the least 

 defective, we should be led to conclude that such is the 

 case, whether arising from the action of ozone or not. In 

 consequence, however, of men congregating together and 

 forming crowded districts, there must always be places in 

 which organic refuse, of greater or less extent, will accu- 

 mulate, and pour forth its noxious exhalations in such quan- 

 tity as cannot be immediately destroyed by the action of the 

 atmosphere. We have already stated that the decomposing 

 contents of cesspools, stagnant drains, and other refuse, have 

 been at all times a source from which emanate disease and 

 death ; and although this may be remedied to a considerable 

 extent by better constructed drains, an abundant supply of 

 water, and other regulations, the evil will, to a considerable 

 extent, remain in our villages and hamlets, if not in our 

 corporate towns. It is for the purpose of defending the 

 inhabitants of such places against the evils to which they are 

 exposed, that we propose the use of some of those artificial 

 disinfectants so well known to practical men. 



It will be evident from what I have already stated, that 

 the presence of some powerful oxydizing agent would be the 



