Army hygiene / by Charles Alexander Gordon.

  • Gordon, C. A. (Charles Alexander), Sir, 1821-1899.
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Army hygiene / by Charles Alexander Gordon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    sulphurous acid, which is no less pernicious. It is therefore apparent that in view to reduce to their mini- mum, the probable injurious results that may arise from' these causes, a constant change of atmosphere becomes necessary in rooms lighted in the manner mentioned. The impurities suspended in the atmosphere may consist of dust from the soil, and contain silica, iron, or chalk; they may be of sea spray, and of course contain all its constituents. Others may consist of animal debris and germs, or contain similar remains of vegetables and fungi. In cities, the atmosphere usually contains in greater or less^ proportion particles of carbon, starch cells, cotton fibres, hair, wool, steel, stone, iron. It may also con- tain small quantities of the acids, more especially car- bonic, sulphmic, nitric, and hydrochloric. Organic impurities.—But in addition to these, or independent of them, the atmosphere may contain epithehal cells, themselves in a state of decomposition, or laden with germs of disease. It may contain the poison of fevers, eruptive and continued; it may be laden with the influences by which epidemics are propogated; or it may be laden with pus cells, ready in their turn to set up ophthalmia, purperal fever, hospital gangrene, or pyemia. Emanations from sewers.—One of the most com- mon sources of contamination of the atmosphere is the emanations from sewers. This is especially so at military stations in the United Kingdom and Europe generally. It is so also to some, although a less extent at our foreign stations where the system of having sewers is in force. To illustrate this it may be noted that one gallon of sewage yields from one to 12 gr&,ins of gas per hour. The gaseous results of sewage are very various at different places,—so much so, that the particular character! of odours* that prevail in certain places is proverbial, and not to be mistaken by travellers-who have visited’them.