536 
PEAT CHARCOAL. 
in bags, without giving the slightest offensive smell. This shews 
that it can be carried anywhere in a dry inoffensive state. Some 
of the spectators took away a portion of it in their pockets/’ 
* * * 
“ Another trial of its properties was made before Lord Lyttelton 
and the Rev. Mr. Girdlestone, which exhibited a most remarkable 
feature in the properties of peat charcoal. Several chemical com- 
pounds, prepared by Sir W. Burnett and Mr. Ellerman, to dis- 
infect or deodorize feculent matter, were tested, and were proved 
much inferior to the peat charcoal ; for it not only deodorized the 
feculent manure, but positively deodorized the other compounds 
recommended by Sir W. Burnett and Mr. Ellerman, freeing those 
very compounds from the offensive smell which they had imbibed 
in their action on the manure, or had originally possessed. But it 
may be said, Now that you have got your manure, what will you 
do with it ] I am gratified in being enabled to inform you that 
it has proved itself to be a powerful agent in arresting and 
preventing the potato blight. This has been evidenced by gen- 
tlemen of high standing and the most consummate experience, 
who state that where, in the first instance, they manured the land 
for potatoes with peat charcoal manure, and the planting took 
place early in the season, they altogether escaped the disease; 
while, upon the application of the manure to beds that were dis- 
eased, the blight gradually and totally disappeared.” 
***** 
Major General M'Cleod rose, and said : Here is a letter from 
Dr. Fergusson to me on the subject, which I beg Mr. Rogers to 
read. 
Mr. Rogers accordingly read the subjoined letter: — 
“ 16, George-street, Hanover- square, Aug. 2, 1850. 
“ My dear Sir, — I am so engaged that I cannot attend your 
meeting to-morrow, but I wish the object of it every success. 
“ Having had the opportunity of appreciating the deodorizing 
effects of the peat charcoal, as prepared by Mr. Rogers, I can bear 
testimony to its wonderful influence ; and since I witnessed these 
experiments, I have had the additional opportunity of testing the 
powers of this material in my own professional avocations. I have 
used it extensively as a deodorizer in the wards of King’s College 
Hospital, and invariably with excellent results. In particular I 
may mention two examples in which it proved of great service. 
In these cases the bowels discharged their contents through un- 
natural apertures in front — in the groins. In such instances 
hitherto it has been almost impossible to keep patients in any 
degree of comfort, the offensive smell causing the utmost annoy- 
ance to themselves and those around : such happened in one of 
