The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-13
OZONE.

The discoveries alleged recently to have been
made AZ Chicago, respecting the operation of sui.
phnr rs counerAagent TO the cholera has directed
public attention TO an atmosphcrical element con-
dition, termed Ozone the nature of which, is little
understood and about which, scientific men do moi
seem 10 be entirely agreed.
Ozone probably signifies an atmospherical condi-
ton hostile to lite, the being privativc and the
word etymoloecaly expressing the same idea as
aZote.
1t has been talked about for six or seven years,
and owes its scientific name and fame TO the re-
searches of German professor of the name of
Schonbein the inventor Of the celebrated gun cotton
he detected its presence in the atmosphere by some
| experiments which we hope will be repeated by
some of our own chemists. He smeared slips Of
paper with the following composition "a drachn of
| common starch is mixed with an ounce OF boiling
water, and the solution Is boiled Till il becomes of
the consisence Of that used in the laundry; then
twelve grains OF iodde Of potassium are TO be added
and the whole well mixed together. The presence
of ozone is discovered by the decomposition Of the
potassium salt, and the formation of the blue iodide
| of starch" This Idea Of Professor Schonbein was
followed up by DR. Mofat, mn English gentlemen,
who, at a meeting Of the British association last
year, exhibited great number Of specimens show
ing similar results. We have those proceedings
hand, but we believe he is the author of the Chi
cago theory, probably derived from those proceedings
that the existence Of large quantities Of ozone in the
air sis invariably attended with catarrh and mucous
dnrrhpa.h
II appears that Professor Schonben has also cor
responded with Professor Faraday, very extensively
on this subject The former believes that Ozone Is
single body, constituent of azote, which he con-
siders compound Of hydrogen and ozone, and the
latter as analogous to chlorine. In all the comnu
| nicatons which Professor Schonbein has made
| either 10 Professor Faraduy or the British Associa-
lion we do not remember 10 have noticed his allu.
sion 10 sulphur as a simple body in connection
with ozone. It's snlphutes and acids have deyel-
oped It's existence, and he himself appears not to
have jumped 10 the conclusion Of the Chicago phi
losophers.
Sulphur, which under the new theory, is TO be the
specific for cholera, is mild pnrgalivc, aud ineii-
Client in diseases Of the skin How 1t can stop that
thorough dsorganzalion OF the stem which we per-
ceive in cholera is proper subject for scientific in
qury. The well known absence of bile in the dis
charge OF cholera patients and the gorgng of the
liver with blood, seem 10 require other agents than
| simple laxaiiyes, such sulphur. The virtues of
sulphur have been tried recently in Louisville KY.
| by exploding gunpowder notion probably derived
| from similar experiments made on the continent du-
ring the first visitation of cholera when il was quite
| customary 10 burn gunpowder in dwellings, streets
| and hospitals
| The burning Of gunpowder In Louisville was fol
| lowed with very noticeable decrease Of the cpl
demic: whether the two facts had any dependence
| upon ench other, we are not advised. --New York
| Ere Past