A short essay written for the service of the proprietors of cotton mills.

  • Bill, John (Surgeon)
Date:
1784
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A short essay written for the service of the proprietors of cotton mills. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    The ingenious Dr. Lind tells us that he ^ fel- ‘ dom knew a proper application of fire and; ‘ fmoke to prove unfuccefsful in producing thej ‘ happy confecjuence of effedually purifying allj ‘ tainted places, materials, and fubftances.’ j ^ There are feveral methods commonly prac- | ^ tifed for purifying fhips, hofpitals, or other | ^ places, after the company has been removed ‘ out of them.’ One of them is by the burning of tobacco—■ ; ‘ A quantity of tobacco is fpread on feveral | ^ fires made with fuch old pieces of ropes, as | ‘ are called junk. Thefe fires difperfed into | ‘ different places of the fhip, their heat or fmoke 1 ‘ is afterwards clofely confined below for a con- ^ fiderable time.’ Another method is, by burning wood and other vegetable produ6lions that yield a fubtil volatile acid, fuch as pitch and tar, &c. in dif- ferent parts of a building. ^ The third method is, by charcoal fires, ^ flrewed with brimflone. The heat and fleam ^ of thofe burning fubflances for this purpofe ' ‘ mufl likewife be long and clofe fliut up. ‘ This fume properly applied hath been expe- ‘ rienced to purify efedually all tainted apart- ‘ ments, fhips, cloaths, &c.’ ‘ The fourth method of purification is per- ^ formed by the burning of gunpowder. Of ^ the many fumes recommended for the emen- ^ dation of the air none are more effedlual to ^ eradicate an infeclion out of any place, than
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