THE WEST SHORE.
February, 1880.
42
ON KOTTINU WOOD.
We condense the following from an interest
ing lecture reoently given by I'rof. Win. II.
Brewer, of Yale College, before the New Haven
Board of Health:
It it well known that all wooda contain cur
iam utwuguuuu, ulgauu; kUUHU
chemioally under the general name of allmmi
noidt, and that Uh-kb substances are activo in
iuduoing and favoring rot. All chemical meth
od! for the preservation of timber from decay
look towardi getting thii nitrogenous portion
into lome leas soluble condition, or into some
oombination leu liable to chemical change.
When green wood is well loaked in cold water,
a oomnderable quantity of such albuminoid
matter il diiiulved out, remaining in lolution
in the water. This loiution, even when very
dilute, il extremely putrescible more so, in
deed, than any person would deem ouible,
until he had tried the experiment. The fact ia
aa true of the hardest woods, ns maple and lo
cust, aa it in of soft wood.
To illuitrate: If a few piece! of such greon
wood be carefully freed from bark and all
foreign dirt, and put into the purest cold water
and let stand at the ordinary temperature of
00" or 70 I' jiIi r , the water soon begins to be
oome turbid or opalescent; this opalescence in
creases, in two to four days a thin pellicle forms
on the surfaco, active putrefaction sets in, along
with an abundant growth of ferments, and the
liquid soon becomes peculiarly and pungently
atinkiog. The odor naturally varies with the
kind of wood used, but in all casos it is very
rank, fully aa muoh ao aa the same amount of
animal matter in solution. Tho intensity and
rapidity of putrescence vary, of course, with
the temperature, the kind of wood, and tho do
gree of concentration of the solution,
Aa in the case of other putrefaction, what the
gaaea are which produoe the exhalations, wo
are entirely ignorant It is probable that they
are organic compouuda of simpler moleoular
oonititution than the albuminoids which fur
nished the necessary elements.
If kept long enough, and of sullieient concen
tration, there is an abundant fungoid growth in
the solution, and if kept in tho light it grows
darker in color, gradually beoomei SOU to the
lute and amell, but continues offensive iu odor
for a long time; in bottles partly tilled, it con
t nun's to smell bad for two years. Whore tho
solution is kept in the dark, the odor scorns
more offensive than if the dooay goes on in the
light
In the free air and full aunlight (the condi
tion to which piles and various other wooden
struoturee and vegetablo matter in swamps aro
subjected) along with the putrescence, a white
fungus growth I begins on the aurface of the
wood, which rapidly beoomei slimy. Thia forms
much more abundantly on the enifa of the grain
of the wood than on either the radial or tan-
Kntial sidea. If the aolution ia poured from
a wood and kept in a eoiaratc vowel, ami in
tha light it grows dark, aa already described,
but tne fungus growth gooa on, modiliod, of
oourae, by tho teniierature and the degree of
ooooentratiou, or uutil the decay haa become
complete.
If the wood continuea to be placed in succoss
iva portion! of clean water, the soluble matter
oontinure to be extracted for several months,
even if the block be very small, and tho ten
dency towards putrefaction grows leas and leu.
Finally, however, the aoluble matter aiipeara to
be removed, the water thou remains clear, and
tha wood ceases to be covered with fungus
growth, at leaat to auy visible extent.
Timber, wheu thoroughly water-seaaoned, is
known to be very durable, and it ia probable
that it is so merely bocause of the removal of
the aoluble and putreacible albuminoids.
Kiperimenta triad with the aaine wooda in
sea water, and iu brackiah water (made by mix
ing two meaaurea of freah water with oue of sea
water ), show similar sanitary results: they are
even actually intensified. The turbidity be
gins sooner in sea water than in fresh; the film
on the surface is more abundant, and the smell
ia more disgusting. Heart-wood and sap-wood
act essentially alike in this matter, the differ
ence is one of degree rather than of character.
The suggestiveuess of those facts is almost
too obvious to need comment, and yet 1 will
add a woril. V ast iiuantities of wood and vege
table matter, decaying in water or in swamps,
are too common.
If piles about our wharves and similar struct
ures do not smell so badly, it is merely because
tho solution is more dilute. The decay goes on,
however, and so with vegetablo matter decay
ing in swamps, sawdust in ponds, and so on to
the end of a long chapter. The trouble has
sometimes boon attributed to the obvious gases
evolved, notably to light carbureted hydrogen,
which one may see bubbling up, with nitrogen
and carbonic acid, through the water of ponds,
where sawdust, or vegetable matter, is decay
ing on the bottom. As 1 have maintained in a
paper read at a previous meeting of this associ
ation, I cannot believe that either of these
latter gases of decay seriously affect health.
These latter experiments on woods only confirm
the views then oxpressed.
The exhalations of swamps, or of vegetable
matter decaying in still water is universally re
garded as unwholesome, in climates where for
a part of the year, at least, the wear the is as
warm as we have it. So far as I know, there is
no exception to this on the whole earth, and
henco the general sanitary bearing of tho ob
servations here recorded need not be further
argued.
PBOKHS ItivuK iiktwkkn Mani'iiknthh anh
LtVUMOti, A meeting has been held iu Man
chester for the purpose of considering the expe
diency of the proposal for the construction of a
tidal navigation for MMBUM steamers between
Manchester and Liverpool. At this meeting
Mr. Hamilton Fulton, tho engineer, explained
tho nature of tho proposal, and statod that the
length ot tho channel between Manchester and
Liverpool would bo about 86 miles. Tho mini
mum width of the naviuation would lw 200 rant
and tho minimum depth at low water spring
tides would be 10 feet, or about two feet more
water than exists at low water over tho bar at
tho mouth of the Mersey. A basin would be
provided at Manchester end of M acres with
l(i,(HK) lineal feet of well-constructed wharves,
and all requisites for shipping accommodation
on a large scalo. The estimated cost of the un
dortaking is i'.'UO0.(K)O. Mr.
of Manchester, presented a statement as to tho
probable revenue, which, if realised, would give
a largo return upon tho proposed outlay. Ow
ing to the inability of several members of Far
liamont and others to attend, tho furthor con-
ameralion ol the subject was adjourned.
('hicaiiii'm Ti'vwii ii.;,. L jj.
, " ""8 "i niucil (lis-
satished with the tunnels built under the rivor
which uiviucs thai city, with the object of re
lieving the blockade of vehicles in the streots.
hen they were built, 13 feet of water was con
sidered elliimili t.nt vmhiIi 1 : , .
, increased so
much ill sue since Chicago was mado a port of
entry, that ships and steamers are constantly
"buiiipiug" or scraping their keelson the arches
of the tuunols aforoaaid. The shallowness of
tho river is so serious a drawback to shippers of
grain, coal and luinlier, that Waring up and re
building the Washington street tunnel is
strongly urged. This ia a warning to larne
cities lest they build streets iu such a manner
tlltl Jill,.; A
V.i. 1 r i 1 1 " an over the heads
of tnoso who frequent the public thoroughfares.
Winnm OoMfovm kor Oumtm Tho
(iorman washerwomen use a mixture of two
" ""hs aim one ounce spirits of am
monia well mixed together. This is put into a
bucket of warm water, in which one-half pound
aoap haa been dissolved. The clothes are im-
iii.ir.,,,1 (.,,. 1 I I, .... I iL . ..
"7 7 'v n uuu "'Pit WMQML The
. I'ltiiaimi ft ft . . 4 . 1 .1 la
uU vu gre.ii.iy quickened, and
two or three rwiings in cold water remove the
tunwntine smell.
THE FEET IN WINTER,
Sometimes in washing the feet in warm water
a great deal of scurf or whitish soft substance
may be scraped from the soles. Thia ia dead
skin, dried perspiration, and other accumu
lations, all resulting from a want of personal
cleanliness. These accumulations ooonr most
in winter, when washing the feot is neither aa
convenient nor agreeable as in summer time.
Many persons suffer from cold feet, Him ply from
a neglect to keep them clean. Few Buffer thus
in summer time, one reason for which is that
the skin is moist, the poreB are open, a free
evaporation takes place, and the blood is invited
to the surface. In winter the skin is dry, harsh
and cold. To keep them constantly warm and
comfortable is indispensablo to good health,
and to do this the surface must be brought to
the condition of summer that is, must be soft
and somewhat moist, instead of being harsh and
dry. Tl i ii may be soon brought about by soak
ing the feet in warm water for half an hour at
a time daily, using most freely a very stiff
brush, with good soap. After the skin has
become soft and smooth, a good washing with
snap and warm water twice a week during
cold weather will greatly contribute to
a healthful condition of the feet as well as to
porsunal comfort If the feet are kept un
exceptionality clean, and are nevertheless in
clined to be dry, considerable benefit will be
derived by rubbing into the soles every morn
ing a little sweet oil, 20 or 30 drops to each sole,
with the palm of the hand, patiently and well,
the object being to secure by artificial means,
that softness and moistnesa which is known to
favor evaporation and invite thither the flow of
blood. If in addition, the feet were placed in
cold water regularly every morning (when not
unwell) not over two inches deep, and remain
ing in not over half a minute in cold weather,
then rubbed briskly dry with a coarse oloth,
next with tho hands, all followed by a brisk
walk or stamping for a minute or two, or until
they begin to feel comfortably warm after the
cold bath, an improvement in the condition of
the feot would be secured in a reasonably ihort
time, which would largely compensate for the
trouble taken, Hall's Journal of Health.
Pronto, in Smai,l-Pox. Somebody haa as
certained the curious facts, in small-pox, that
poor people are pitted least, rioh people are
pitted most, and no classes are pitted under
their dress, l'oor people have less light in their
homes; the rich have plenty of light, and under
the dress there is of course less light than in
either case. The explanation according to this
observer, is a scientific one. The sunlight con.
Bists of three primary colon. The red, the blue
and the yellow rays have distinct and character
istic properties: tho yellow gives light, the red
gives heat, and tho blue gives actinism. Now,
the pus of variolar pustules absorbs, by its yel
low medium, the actinic rays, which remits in
corrosion of tho tender flesh at the base, thus
leaving pits.
ItOOBTiirai ok Slbkp. A modical man, die
coursing upon sleep, makes this remark: "One
man may do with a little less sleep than
another; but, as a general rule, if you want a
clerk, a lioutcnant, a lawyer, a physician, a
legislator, a judge, a president or a pastor, do
not trust your interests to any man who does
not take, on the average, eight good, solid
hours of sleep out of every twenty-four. What
ever may be his reasons for it, if he does not
givo himself that, he will snap iome time juit
when you want him to be strong."
To 11.1 is rust frnm film In I. - A,
keep an oyiter shell in the bottom; and when
water is wauted, pour off without agitating tho
vessel Be careful also not to let the water
stand in the veaael when not in use.