
£08 
%o the Editor if the Monthly Magazine. 
oo 
HE two inclofed letters have for 
fome time been circulating in New 
York, and have been admired for their 
humorous and popular way of treating 
a dificult fubject. They were wr itten, 
as you will obferve, by Dr. MITCHILL, 
to ladies of his acquaintance, who were 
defirous of information, how feptic, or 
peitilential fluids could beft be rendered 
harmlefs or inactive by alkalies. ahey 
conftitute two interefting articles of his 
great inquiry on that fubject; and as 
they will probably be entertaining to 
your female readers, and attraét the no- 
tice of fome of the philofophical gentle- 
men, I beg you will infert them in your 
valuable Magazine. I aim, Sir, your's, 
RICHARD V. W. THORNE. 
New York, Nov. 10, 1798. 
(LETTER.) 
Ladies are philofophers, and have long ac- 
tually praditfed what phyficians have but 
age difcovered in theory, as appears 
by the following letier 10 @ lady in this 
city, and recommended to the aitéation of 
philofophers. 
DEAR MISS, 
Recollefting the converfation which 
pafied between us when I lait enjoyed 
your delightful fociety, I now undertake 
the fulfilment of the promife I made you, 
to ftate my thoughts on the fubject upon 
paper. Youremember I liftened to you 
very attentively while you exprefied tender 
concern for your friends in Philadelphia, 
during the prevalence of the plague this 
feafon. 
‘The difcourfeturned uponthegreater pro- 
bability of the ladies efeaping it than that 
the gentlemen fhould, becaufetheir greater 
temperance was a better fecurity againit 
the peftilential poifon. Upon this I ven- 
tured to obterve, that, beldes their pre- 
ferable conititution of body in fuch pe- 
rilous times, they. had better management 
and contrivance for the prefervation and 
extinguifhment of contagion at all times, 
than the men; and if the officers of po- 
lice and commiffioners of infection under- 
frood their bufinefs as well as their wives 
and houfekeepers do, we fhould not have 
fach frequent and terrible vifitations of 
ticknefs in particular places. 
It is a ftale and indelicate fubject of 
jefting among the men, how much time 
is confumed, and how much labour and 
money expended by the women in itrub- 
ee 
Dr, Mitchill on the popular ap of Alkalies. 
-[Feb. 
bing, {cowering, whitening, wathing, 
and cleaning. “Women caule thefe ope- 
rations to be performed, not for the mere 
pleafure of doing them, but to prevent 
the converfion of common dirtinefs to in- 
fection, and to defiroy infeétion if al- 
ready produced. ‘Thefe defirable ends_ 
they accomplifh, by means that have an- 
fwered for the pur pote many centuries. 
Their experience is decifive on the point, 
and I feel afhamed, when I confefs to you 
the almoft total imattention with which 
men have treated thefe important difco- 
veries in houfewifery. So perfectly do 
fkilful miftrefles of families underftand 
thefe rules of health, that there is no in- 
ftance of infection breaking out in houfes 
where female orders have been obeyed. 
If mifchief of this fort arifes, it commonly 
proceeds from the difobedience or per- 
verfenefs of the men. 
It will be amufing to review the dif- 
ferent modes of proceeding to,accomplifh 
the falutary purpefes of reméving foul- 
nefs and infection from clothes, houfes, 
and their habitants. The women em- 
ploy calcareous earth, or lime, to whiten. 
their walls, and often renew the applica- 
tion of it; and very july; it ftands 
ready to abforb the feptie acid vapours 
which render the air peftilential, and m- 
fiantly to neutralize them. Even their 
rooms, if papered, are covered with hangs 
ings, whofe colours and ornaments are 
singled and daubed on with a calcareous 
ground. They apply petafb and its ley, 
to fearch the porous materials of their 
ficcrs and ftair-cafes, to purify -gar- 
ments that have become foul, and to re- 
fore to cleannefs every ching that has 
been foiled or contaminated by long ufe 
*or wearing ; and with good reafon ; ‘thefe 
faline fubftances are capable of drawing 
forth and rendering harmlefs, thofe ani- 
mal exhalations which are ready to turn 
to peitilential poifon. They ule foap to 
aniwer the fame purpofes, and find it re- 
ftore unclean thmgs of almoft every de- 
{cription te purity, by overcoming their 
danperon’ and virulent taints. a 
All thofe unwholefome- fluids with 
which houfes, furnifure, and clothes be- 
come impregnated, are thus completely 
neutralized, or deftroy red by lime, potafb, 
and foep, when applied under femaie ma- 
nagement, in private dwellings. 
Turn your attention new to the pro- 
greis of things when men undertake 
houfe- keeping. Prijtas are public dwell- 
ing houfes, and generally under the ma- 
agement of men, ‘Through — 
tn¢ 
