84) 
THE USES OF SULPHUKOUS ACID GAS. 
value for ropes or for sackcloth, form no criterion of their strength when prepared for 
manufacturing into fabrics, as is exemplified in the case of New Zealand flax. Their 
strength for this purpose being solely dependent upon the length and strength of their 
individual cells, and upon the surface form of these cells whether favourable or otherwise 
to binding together in spinning. 
In resuming the subject we will endeavour to seek out the properties and adaptabili¬ 
ties of some known fibres, and conclude with an inquiry how far their attempted treat¬ 
ment accords with that required by their supposed chemical composition.— J'echnologist. 
THE USES OF SULPHUROUS ACID GAS. 
For many months Dr. Dewar, of Kirkcaldy, has been engaged in impressing upon the 
Government, the public, and the profession, the importance of employing the fumes of 
sulphur in the prevention and cure of disease, and quite recently he has extended their 
use in a different and scarcely less important direction—the preservation of animal food. 
Without accepting his views of the nature of disease—pointing, as he seems to indicate, 
to the origin of all disease from cryptogamic spores—as at all correct, we may never¬ 
theless state that he has arrived at several interesting and remarkable practical results. 
Dr. Dewar’s experiments were at first initiated in connection with cattle plague, and his 
method nf fumigating byres is to take a chafer two-thirds full of red cinders, place a 
crucible in them, and in it a piece of sulphur stick the length of one’s thumb, which is 
sufficient for a byre containing six cattle. If ordinary attention be paid to ventilation, 
the attendant may shut himself in along with the cattle during the process, not only 
without detriment, but, as we shall presently see, with occasionally unlooked-for benefit. 
This process may be repeated four times a day, and the result has been that, when this 
system has been thoroughly and determinedly practised, there has been no case of death 
among the cattle from any epidemic cause whatever. Nor has this been the sole result. 
Ringworm, angle-berries (jnolluscum), mange, and lice have disappeared; and a horse 
which had been a few times unintentionally fumigated, was unexpectedly cured of 
obstinate grease of the heels. Nay more, in a large dairy, which for thirty years had 
maintained a notorious character for mortality from pleuropneumonia, and the present 
tenant of which had for eight years past never been one whole month free from this 
disease amongst his cattle up to the 1st of November last, and had buried sixteen cows 
during the preceding twelve months, the last of them only three days before he began 
to fumigate, this disease has since then ceased to be observed, and the cows have remained 
perfectly healthy. These facts are extremely remarkable, and of themselves would com¬ 
pel a further investigation of the influence of sulphurous acid fumes; but what we have 
still to relate is still more extraordinary, and could scarcely be believed but upon the 
testimony of an upright and honourable medical man, such as we know Dr. Dewar to be. 
For not only were chilblains and chapped hands found to disappear from the hands of 
the attendants upon those cattle which were regularly fumigated, but in the case of a 
groom of Dr. Dewar, supposed to be dying from phthisis, and who was employed to 
fumigate certain cattle, the most extraordinary results were attained; for within one 
week the night sweats had ceased, his cough gradually abated, the expectoration dimi¬ 
nished, and he gained nearly two stone within four months, and though now dependent 
for existence upon one lung or little more, he looks nearly as strong and is as able for 
ordinary stable work as he was previous to his illness. 
This case has been observed by Professor Sir J. Y. Simpson, by Dr. Halliday Douglas, 
and by other medical men, who are conversant with the facts. Indeed, so remarkable 
and encouraging have the results obtained in this and in several other similar cases 
appeared to Dr. Halliday Douglas, that he had determined to construct a chamber for 
t'le purpose of employing sulphur fumigation in connection with the Chalmers Hospital, 
that he may have an opportunity of personally investigating the matter and testing the 
results. It is truly somewhat singular, and peculiarly illustrative of the circular—or 
shall we rather say spiral—manner in which medicine moves, or, if you will, progresses, 
though its progression is limited, and as yet not well defined, that Hahnemann was led 
by his theory of disease to propound sulphur as the most important remedy in tuber- 
