Vol. VIII. No, 89. 
IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
[May, 1902.] 
Attention is also drawn in the pamphlet to the utilization of refuse of all kinds as 
manure, and many cheap sources at present wasted are pointed out. The importance of 
securing better breeds of horses, mules, and cattle is also dealt with, from which it appeal's 
that the native farmer has not so far attempted selective breeding with the object ol 
improving his stock, 
The organization of central markets, the combination of farmers to construct roads, 
bridges, and other works benefiting the whole agricultural community, the formation of 
banks, the arrangement of local credit systems, supply of seed, and other matters are also 
fully dealt with, and in most cases instances of successful application of the methods recom- 
mended are given, so that there is every inducement for landowners and farmers to benefit 
by the wide experience which the Agricultural Department thus places at their service. 

GENERAL NOTES. 
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF MALARIA. 
At the recent Malarial Conference held in Nagpur, an interesting paper was read by 
Captain G. T. Birdwood, comparing and summing up the methods, in use and suggested, for 
the prevention of malaria in India. He condemns the carrying out on a large scale of such 
expensive schemes as the quininising of the whole population, or the wholesale adoption of 
mosquito nets by the inhabitants ; but advocates a thorough reform of sanitary matters, 
managed in such a way as not to run counter to native prejudices. He attributes the spread 
of malaria in many districts to the haphazard excavation of the earth ; the holes thus formed 
become filled with stagnant water and a fruitful breeding place for the anopheles. Ponds 
are often dug to obtain earth for the repair of railway embankments and roads and for use 
in brickfields, and it is invariably noticed that in the presence of these the fever mortality 
of the locality is increased. To check this source of infection, he recommends that 
cantonment authorities should send a special health officer periodically to see that excavations 
of that nature are promptly filled in. A point that Captain Birdwood considers most import- 
ant of all is the universal adoption of pucca surface drains in place of kutcha drains, the most 
frequent breeding places of anopheles mosquitoes in municipalities and cantonments being 
the accumulated water in kutcha surface drains and roadside ditches, and again it is 
important that municipal water schemes should adequately provide for carrying away the 
waste water from wells and hydrants. As well as the use by cantonment authorities of 
pucca masonry for canals, ditches, etc., owners of private gardens should be compelled to use 
it for their irrigation channels and drains. 
lie thinks the employment of bands of coolies for systematic cleansing purposes in 
Indian towns is not desirable, since there is always the danger of interfering with native 
domestic concerns and customs : although such mosquito brigades, as they are called, have 
proved successful in Sierra Leone, and other West African towns. Another source of trouble 
is the overcrowding of servants in the kutcha houses attached to European compounds, and 
a bye-law should be passed to deal with it. Although, as mentioned previously, the extensive 
use of gauze nets, etc. is deprecated, Captain Birdwood advocates the adoption of mosquito 
curtains in the soldiers’ barracks throughout the infected districts, also the use of fumigating 
and bactericidal agents, such as sulphurous acid, in dealing with coolie sheds and workmen’s 
quarters. It is now generally accepted that quinine is of no value when given in small doses, 
but highly valuable as a prophylactic agent in large quantities : he considers therefore that 
municipal authorities should encourage the use of quinine as suggested by Professor Koch 
(this Journal February, 1902, p. 44). Finally the education of many of the advanced native 
scholars, on the subject of malaria, would go far to assist the carrying out of suggested 
schemes, such as improved sanitation, which is very much wanted, by teaching the people to 
associate the malarial fever with the presence of mosquitoes and stagnant pools of water, and 
their co-operation in schemes of sanitary and other reforms could then be expected. 
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AS A BLEACHING AGENT. 
The bleaching of such organic substances as feathers, silk and ivory presents considerable 
difficulty, owing to the ease with which these materials are destroyed by the action of such 
agents as chlorine and sulphur dioxide commonly employed for this purpose. The latter has 
also the furLher disadvantage that it merely combines with the objectionable natural colouring 
matter to form unstable colourless compounds which are liable to decompose in the presence 
of moisture, giving off the malodorous sulphur dioxide and restoring the colour to the 
material. This is often observed in straw hats bleached by sulphur dioxide which, owing to 
the action of perspiration and the moisture of the atmosphere, slowly revert to the natural 
yellow colour of straw. 
During the last few years hydrogen peroxide has been used to a considerable 
extent as a bleaching agent, for delicate organic materials of this class, and appears 
to answer this purpose well, since it has, practically, no action on these materials, 
whilst it destroys their colours. It is, however, somewhat more expensive than sulphur 
dioxide, and although many attempts have been made to cheapen its production, no 
marked success in this direction has yet been achieved. Mr. Fawsitt, f.r.s.e., in 
a paper read at a meeting of the Glasgow section of the Society of Chemical 
Industry, (Feb. 28, 1902) described a method which he has found to give good results 
in practice, and which consists in dissolving barium peroxide in ice-cold hydrochloric 
acid, the barium being subsequently removed by adding sufficient dilute sulphuric acid. 
The paper gives in addition details of the best methods of preserving hydrogen per- 
oxide solution and of employing it for bleaching silk, wool, feathers, bone, ivory and 
straw, the processes described being those which have been found to answer well in 
actual practice. This chemical has also been recommended as an antiseptic, especially by 
the late Sir B. W. Richardson, but has not been much used in this way, owing apparently to 
the acid-impurities present in the solutions sold in commerce. Mr. Fawsitt has attempted 
to prepare solutions of hydrogen peroxide free from acids and other impurities by distillation 
and by purification with silver sulphate, but has so far only succeeded in slightly reducing 
the irritating character of these, but not in eliminating them entirely. 
THE ACTION OF SUNLIGHT ON DYED LEATHERS. 
A series of experiments was carried out at the Gardens of the Royal Botanical Society, 
Regent’s Park, during 1900-1901, by Mr. C. Lamb, with the object of ascertaining the relative 
fastness to light of various coal-tar colours when applied to leather. The experiments were 
made by exposing about 1,500 specimens of dyed leather to direct sunlight until the dyes 
faded, the fading point being ascertained by comparison with similar specimens kept in the 
dark and with natural undyed samples of the same leather. A complete list of the dyes 
experimented with is published in the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry 
(February 15, 1902), with their relative stabilities to light as established by these investiga- 
tions, but it is possible to draw certain general conclusions regarding the behaviour of the 
principal groups of dyes, which may be given here. 
It was observed that at first many colour changes occurred, thus several blue dyes such 
as turquoise and new patent blues became violet or green, whilst several greens changed to 
slate colour, and browns in some cases became blue, green or violet in shade. 
% / 
127 
At the end of 397 days the whole of the colours had faded, and only four, viz., violamine, 
nigrosine W. G., fast blue 5 R. and acid violet 5 R., survived after 322 days. The most 
fugitive colours were the eosines, curcumen S., erythrosine, methyl cosine, naphthol 
green B., phloxines B. T. and N., which had faded after only nine days’ exposure. In general 
it was observed that basic dyes were less fugitive on leather than when applied to woollen 
goods. These experiments are now being extended to ascertain the effect of sunlight on 
leathers dyed with mixed dyestuffs, the influence of the acid in the dye bath on the stability 
of the dye, and the effect of the various “ finishes ” employed on the latter. 
WEST INDIAN SWEET POTATOES. 
Owing to the possibility of profitable cultivation of sweet potatoes, considerable attention 
has been given to the potato crop by the Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West 
Indies, and a great deal of experimental work has been carried on. Experiments were made 
in Antigua with a view to determining the best varieties for cultivation. Fifteen varieties were 
planted and the crop from each weighed ; the yield varied from ’6 to 4 '4 tons, the varieties 
“ Eliza,” “ T. 1,” and “ T.2,” giving the largest crops. A full report of these experiments 
will be found in the Report on certain Economic Experiments in connection with the Botanic 
station, Antigua , iqoo-iqoi. In Barbados alone, starches, grains, and meals, which are 
food-stufts similar in composition to sweet potatoes, are imported to the value of ,£95,000 per 
annum, so that if the potato crop could be preserved for consumption during the year, it 
could be used instead of this imported food. Sweet potatoes will not keep without some 
desiccating treatment in the West Indies, the conditions for their preservation being storage 
in dry air at about 50° to 6o° Fahrenheit. In Japan they are preserved by cutting them into 
slices and drying the latter in the sun. Many tons of potato meal were made by 
Mr. Spooner, of Antigua, who prepared it by slicing the potatoes in a chaff-cutter, and drying 
the slices in the sun while spread out on wire netting, the drying being complete in about 
eight hours. 
One ton of potatoes by this method yielded 910 lb. of meal, at a cost of about 
£4. 10s. od. per ton of meal, 
Dr. Voelcker, who analysed the product, found it had the following composition 
Moisture .... 
1 1 '99 per 
cent. 
Nitrogenous matter 
5' 12 » 
7 9 
oil 
1-19 „ 
Sugar 
9 ‘90 » 
ij 
Starch and carbohydrates 
67-01 ,, 
1 > 
Woody fibre .... 
1 *89 „ 
>7 
Mineral matter 
2-90 „ 
9 7 
As regards the keeping qualities of the meal, some of it was stored in tins for twelve 
months, and was then found to be perfectly good. 
A large portion of the sweet potato crop is at present used for making spirit, which is 
shipped to Portugal and used for fortifying wines. 
USAR LANDS IN INDIA. 
The question of the origin of usar lands in the North-West Provinces of India has 
occasioned considerable discussion, and several suggestions as to a means of utilizing these 
areas have been put forward. The Pioneer of Allahabad gives a brief outline of a theory 
advanced by Mr. John Cockburn, who proposes to convert them into vast lakes. He 
considers that usar patches are the silted-up beds of jhils (shallow lakes or marshes), and 
that the saline efflorescence known as reh, which is so poisonous to vegetation, is caused by 
the sun’s rays. The sun draws through the bed of mineral clay the water which lies beneath, 
and has in solution certain saline constituents which are deposited on the surface as the 
solvent evaporates : this mineral matter forms a light powder ( reh J with the top surface of the 
clay, which is swept off by the scorching west winds. 
In this manner the top layer of clay is slowly being removed at the rate of about half-an- 
inch a year ; after a few years a depression would be formed in which water will lodge, 
temporarily at first, but permanently when the depth became six to eight feet. In many 
cases beneath the usar plains there exists a supply of water, and the labour expended in con- 
verting these areas into lakes again, would be more profitable than the raising of katcha 
roads (the means now employed in affording famine relief). In tropical countries lakes are 
more valuable than the same area of cultivated land ; therefore the wholesale reclamation of 
marshes is undesirable, and usar patches should be converted into sheets of water whenever 
possible. By breaking up the surface layer of impermeable clay and mixing it with organic 
matters, etc. , usar areas may be converted into arable land ; but at considerable expense, and 
if large quantities of manure are not frequently added the deterioration will be very rapid. 
The reh is of considerable value as a source of caustic soda and sodium carbonate, also 
of common salt and nitre. There are over two million acres of this waste land in the 
North-West Provinces, a large proportion being covered with reh indicating a pent-up supply 
of water, and in course of lime much of it might be reclaimed in the manner described above. 

LECTURES AND PAPERS. 
“THE COLOURED RACES IN AUSTRALIA.” 
{By The lion. Sir Horace Tozer, K.C.M.G.) 
Lord Lamington presided at a lecture given by Sir Horace Tozer, Agent-General for 
Queensland, at the Institute, on the 10th February, entitled “The Coloured Races in 
Australia.” In introducing the lecturer, the chairman remarked that Sir Horace had been 
instrumental in bringing forward, and passing, the Act which had given to Queensland 
aborigines a very large measure of protection. 
Sir Horace said that, for the purpose of convenience, he would divide the coloured races 
in Australia into the following classes : — Aboriginal natives, South Sea Islanders (usually 
called Kanakas), Chinese, Japanese, Coolies or British Indians from India, Ceylon, or 
Afghanistan, and lastly, other aliens such as Malays, Philippine Islanders, and Syrians. Of 
these, the colour of the first two classes might be said to be “black,” the third and fourth 
“yellow,” and the remainder “brown.” 
Dealing first with the aborigines, an interesting account was given of their past and 
present condition, and of the various attempts that had been made to civilize them. They, 
however, had not proved themselves able to withstand the effects of indulgence in the vices of 
civilization, and their extinction was only a matter of time. The lecturer had never known 
a single case in which any aboriginal had permanently settled down to a white man's 
ordinary pursuits. Although he had met with many instances in which, by education, habits 
of refinement, kind influence, and good example, great efforts had been made to elevate 
these natives to a higher social, political, or business existence, this had all been of no avail. 
The steps adopted by the Queensland Legislature for their protection had been the reservation 
of 900 square miles of territory for their use and the appointment o.f two principal protectors 
to look after them, with the police as subsidiary protectors. 
With regard to the South Sea Islands, in British New Guinea, which was about to be 
transferred to the Commonwealth, there were a large number of natives, but they had hitherto 
