518     DISINFECTING  PROPERTIES  OF  CHARCOAL,  SAND,  ETC. 
with  it  a  thick  collodion,  which  is  soon  transformed  into  an 
opaline,  trembling  jelly,  detaching  itself  from  the  sides  of  the 
bottle  without  separating  into  the  two  ingredients  of  which  it  is 
constituted.  This  jelly,  much  more  easily  operated  with  than 
ether,  and  without  any  adherence,  is  spread  with  the  greatest 
facility,  disengaging  but  slowly  the  volatile  liquid  of  which  the 
major  part  of  it  is  formed.  Applied  to  the  skin,  and  covered 
with  a  band  of  cloth,  or  still  better  of  caoutchouc,  it  speedily 
causes  rubefaction  without  producing  by  its  contact  any  symptom 
of  vesication.  When  it  begins  to  dry,  a  new  layer  may  be  ap- 
plied, and  there  may  thus  be  submitted  to  the  prolonged  action 
of  ether,  either  exposed  to  the  air  or  covered,  a  part  of  the  body 
more  or  less  extensive,  by  the  means  that  are  employed  in  the 
administration  of  a  cataplasm  or  a  sinapism. 
The  jelly  ought  to  be  prepared  as  required,  for  the  action  of 
ether  on  albumen  continues  some  time,  bringing  about  by  little 
and  little  a  solidification  more  and  more  complete. 
By  immersing  the  bottle  in  water  at  158°  Fahr.,  an  almost  in- 
stantaneous solidification  is  obtained,  without  the  separation  of 
the  ether. 
1.  The  proportion  of  four  parts  of  ether  is  the  strongest  which 
I  have  succeeded  in  absorbing  by  one  part  of  albumen.  In  fact, 
to  prepare  the  jelly  more  rapidly,  it  would  be  better  to  increase 
a  little  the  proportion  of  albumen. 
2.  For  the  preparation  of  a  fine  and  homogeneous  jelly,  it  is 
requisite  to  use  ether  that  is  pure,  or  at  least  such  as  is  free  from 
alcohol  and  acid.  This  may  be  obtained  from  the  ether  of  com- 
merce by  agitation  with  water  and  magnesia. 
3.  If  circumstances  require,  various  substances  may  be  dis- 
solved in  ether — as,  for  example,  cyanide  of  potassium,  camphor, 
morphia  or  conia,  &c. — and  the  gelatinization  may  afterwards  be 
effected — London  Pharm.  Journ.,  from  Journ.  de  Qhimie  Medi- 
cate, Srpt.,  1855. 
ON  THE  DEODORIZING  AND  DISINFECTING  PROPERTIES  OF 
CHARCOAL,  LIME,  SAND,  AND  GRAVEL. 
A  letter  appeared  in  The  Times  of  August  22d,  addressed  by 
Dr.  Sutherland  to  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  on  the  sanitary 
