THE  USES  OF  SULPHUROUS  ACID  GAS.  469 
• 
has  this  been  the  sole  result.  Ringworm,  angle-berries,  (jnolhis- 
cum),  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  charac- 
ter 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  Novem- 
ber 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  compel  a  further 
investigation  of  the  influence  of  sulphurous  acid  fumes ;  but 
what  we  have  still  to  relate  is  still  more  extraordinary,  and  could 
scarcely  b*e  believed  but  upon  the  testimony  of  an  upright  and 
honorable  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  at- 
tained;  for  within  one  week  the  night  sweats  had  ceased,  his 
cough  gradually  abated,  the  expectoration  diminished,  and  he 
gained  nearly  two  stone  within  four  months,  and  though  now  de- 
pendent for  existence  upon  one  lung  or  little  more,  he  looks  nearly 
as  strong  and  is  as  able  for  ordinary  stable  work  as  he  was  pre- 
vious 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  encourag- 
ing 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  the  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 
