113 
FUMIGATION. 
vapours, when confined in a narrow fpace ; but beyond 
this it is rather hurtful than falutary. It can only decom- 
pofe the putrid effluvia when carried to the degree of adtu- 
al cotubufiion. No advantage can be ex pedted from burn- 
ing different fubltanceson live coals. Vinegar, thus em¬ 
ployed, is rather burnt than evaporated. Nitre itfelf 
gives only irrel’pirahle gafes, after having ferved by its 
oxygen to augment the intenfity of the fire. 11 is the fame 
with gunpowder, which merely exerts a mechanical adtion 
on the air. ' ■ 
With fulphur it is otherwife, its combuftion being 
never complete, and producing only the firft (tage of oxy- 
dation ; wliether lighted, or lhro^vn on live coals, it emits 
a fulphnreous acid vapour, whicli adds powerfully on the 
miafmata which it readies ; it, however, exerts its opera¬ 
tion at no great diftance, and is inadmifiible in places that 
are inhabited. It may, nevertlielefs, be ulefully employ¬ 
ed for the purification of goods and, merchandife that are 
not readily fpoiled, and of the air of narrow paffages, as 
in hofpitals. Common vinegar, or the acetous acid, may 
be reckoned amongfi the heft purifiers for fubflances that 
admit ofbeing inmierfed in it, or which are capable of be¬ 
ing well wafhed with it; but it is not fufflcieiitly volatile 
to be employed with advantage in fumigation. The pyro. 
ligneous acid has an adlion very analogous to that of vine¬ 
gar, but lefs powerful. 
With refpedl to the acetic acid, or radical vinegar, fre¬ 
quent fumigations with this could not be made in places 
at all fpacious, without incurring a very heavy expence. 
Its adlion on infedled matter is, however, more rapid and 
intenfethan that of common vinegar. Its quick and pe¬ 
netrating fcent, which it emits at all temperatures, ferves, 
in the author’s opinion, noto-ily to change the condition 
of the Currounding air, but affords, at the fame time, a 
powerful flimulus to the organs of refpiration, which fup- 
portsthe vital powers to a degree of energy capable of re- 
filling the imprefflon of contagion. The acetic acid, 
therefore, may be carried about the perfon in times of 
contagion, and, whenexpofure to it is unavoid,able, with 
great advantage. 
The mineral acids, in general, are anti-feptic, and 
check all fermentation, both animal and vegetable, and 
are capable of decompofmg contagious virus ; they are not 
all, however, equally advantageous. The fulphuric acid 
cannot, on account of its fixity, ferve to purify the air. 
The fulphnreous, in a liquid ftate, produces but little 
effedl ; its adlion, in the ftate of vapour, as •arifing dur. 
ing the combuftion of fulphur, has been already men¬ 
tioned. The nitrous acid adls only on the r^fpirable por¬ 
tion of the atmofphere, and the vapours which it exhales 
are highly fuffocating. The-nitric acid, difengaged in 
Dr. Smyth’s procefs, deftroys with great certainty putrid 
miafmata; but it diffufes itfelf to no great diftance, is 
readily condenfed, and only adls as an oxygenant in giv¬ 
ing Out nitrous gas: a repetition of the procefs, likewife, 
isrequifite, even in a fmall apartment. The procefs, be- 
fides, is expenfive, and requires many cautions in its per- 
form.ance. 
The muriatic acid offers here the greateft advantages, 
on account of its prodigious expanfibility. The manner 
of employing it is as fimple as it is cheap, and the procefs 
is performed with lefs rilk of accidents from fire than 
that of Dr. Smyth ; fince no greater heat is required than 
what is produced by the mixture of the ingredients. 
By the addition of a little of the oxyd of manganele, 
the oxygenated muriatic acid gas is procured, which is 
the mod certain prefervative, and which is recommended 
by the facility with which it may be applied in all cafes. 
In the lift of fubftances fufceptible of a quick evapo. 
ration, and capable of producing all the falutary effedls 
«f the mod powerful fuper-oxygenants, may be mentioned 
the oxygenated muriate of tin (liquor fumans Libavii.) 
The life of this was firft fuggefted by M. Vic-d’Azyr, 
This is fo extremely volatile, that the veflel containing 
VoL.VlII. No,488. 
it cannot be opened for an inftant without the difengage- 
ment of the mod pungent vapours : it is neceffary, there¬ 
fore, to prelerve it in veffels very clofely ftopt. It is, 
);owever, liable to the inconvenience of caufing the Hop¬ 
per often to adhere fo tightly, as to be with difficulty 
withdrawn. 
V/ith refpefl to the muriatic acid fumigation, the fol¬ 
lowing is recommended as tb.e moft fimple method of per¬ 
forming the procefs. ■ In cafes where it is'rcquifite to 
purify the air of places that are not inhabited, a chafing 
dilh is to be placed in the centre, and on it an iron pot 
half filled with fand or afhes. On this is to be placed a 
large glafs veffd, or one of porcelain or ftone ware, con¬ 
taining muriate of foda (common fait) : wlien this begins 
1,0 be heated, fulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) is to be ad¬ 
ded, when the perfon officiating is to retire, keeping tlie 
doors and windows as clofely ffiut as poffible for fix or 
eight hours. A ward or apartment containing twenty 
beds would require the following quantities of ingredients 
to anfwer the intended purpofe : common fait, nine or ten 
ounces; oil of vitriol, about eiglu ounces. 
In the purification of inhabited places, different pre- 
caiuions are required ; very fmall quantities only the 
ingredients are to be employed at once ; or, which is bet¬ 
ter, tlie fait ffiould be carried round tlie apartment, and 
the acid added by degrees only ; by this means, the ex¬ 
trication of the acid vapours takes place at any point, and 
in any degree that may be judged neceffary. The only 
apparatus requifite for the purpofe are, a bottle of ful¬ 
phuric acid (oil of vitriol), a large glafs goblet, and feme 
common fait. The goblet being placed on the ground, 
or on a table, in the middle of the room, a large fpoonful 
of common fait is to be put in the glafs, and a very fmall 
liqueur glafsful of the fulphuric acid is to be added, but 
at two or three different times, and at intervals. At 
each aft'ufion of the acid a quantity of vapour is difenga. 
gedand diffufed around the apartment, without occafion. 
ing any inconvenience to the aftill^nts. 
The fumigation with'the oxygenated muriatic acid 
differs only from that above defcnbed, in the addition of 
a little of the black oxyd of manganefe (commonly called 
manganeft finiply.) The proportions of the ingredients, 
however, ffiould not be exadlly thofe of Mr. Cruickftiank, 
but the following, in order to effedl a complete faturatioii 
of principles, and to avoid wafte : 
Common fait lodecagranimes—about 3 oz. 2 dr. logrs, 
Manganefe 2 o 5 17 
Water 4 1233 
Oil of vitriol 6 i 7 50 
The fait and manganefe in powder are to be firft mixed 
together, and the mixture put into a glafs or (lone-ware 
veft'el, and the water added; laftly the oil of vitriol, at 
once, or at different times, according as the difengage- 
nient of vapour is required to be quick or gradual. 
From the account that has now been given, the value 
of the treatife before us will be fufficiently apparent. 
M. Morveau has fucceeded in rendering the deftrudlion 
of the contamination arifing from putrefadlion moft fim¬ 
ple and certain. That contagious miafmata are always 
equally within our power, is not, from the nature of the 
fubjedt, fo readily demonftrable: that uncertainty which 
attaches itfelf, unfortunately, to every thing medical, ap¬ 
plies here. But although it canno.t be proved that con. 
tagioLis miafmata are one and the fame w’ith the particles 
iffuing from putrefying fubftances, and w'hich are fuffici¬ 
ently obvious to the fenfe of fmell, there is great reafon 
to fuppofe them intimately connedled, and caipable of 
being deftroyed by fimllar agents. If putrefadlion, it 
has been properly obferved, is not the caufeof contagion, 
there can be no doubt that it is a frequent vehicle of it j 
and there are very fatisfadlory proofs of the latter having 
on different occafions been effedlually deftroyed, by means 
adapted to the deftrudtion of the former. Indeed, what¬ 
ever be the nature of contagious particles,.it is difficult 
Gg to 
