Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-01-24
A arnsrInN nF SALT

The City Councils of Philadelphia are,
just now, terribly exercised about PROPOSE
tion of the passenger Railway companies to
spread salt over the tracks OF their roads
to prevent the accumulation of ice aud snow |
during the winter. The city fathers are
afraid that salt is unhealthy when put upon
the streets, and laboring under the inau-
ence Of this fear, wish to avoid any infringe
ment of the sanitary laws Of the city by
granting the requested permission to the
posing the aforesaid railway corporations,
are not so well satisfied that salt is unwhoe-
some, and are willing to have the matter in
quired into by competent authority conse.
quently on Monday last committee Of
Council heard, in solemn meeting assembled,
the good and bad qualities Of salt gravely
set forth, by those whose business it is to
know how salt will behave itself in public,
while enjoying the compaDionship of the
Heecy fallen fakes Of snow that so much
impede the travel and deplete the treasu-
ries OF the passenger railway companies.
| Professor Rogers, teacher Of Chemistry
in the medical department of the University
of Pennsylvania, eXpatiated upon the vir-
tines Of salt before the committee and gave
some interesting information in relation Ia
its effects upon health, from which We take
the following
1t is calculated 10 preserve the streets aud
their atmosphere in a state Of sRluhriousness
rather than otherwise. lie thought hygienaly
the health of the city would he little improved
by sprnkling the streets with salt. The mix
ture Of salt and snow upon the atmosphere is TO
cool it, and therefore TO render it dry A ptpu-
lar error prevailed that this rendered it damp
1t drys the atmosphere frst, by eondensing /;
and second, by absorbing. Because a great deal
of fiud matter may show itself by mixture Of
salt and snow, il does not follow that there
should be more moisture IN the atmosphere
because that Auld mi1tlre ID Of itself colder
than the snow alone. Salt and water is colder
than snow, which ls ~. The mixture of salt
aud snow is more Hud than mere snow would
be, when so'tenng The Transition Of snow aud
salt is far more rapid than snow itself, and the
fluid s not any more penetrating. The Anidity
of salt AMI snow ie very rapid, and the latter,
when once melted does not freeze again SNOW
will melt during the day and at n ght the balance
will freeze ln bad localities, where filth col
leots, he thought salt would prove very beneii.
eial. If we walk in water formed by salt and
e snow there is more danger Of taking colo
than from walking pure water The mos-
ture from salt and snow is not much more likely
to be retained than the moisture from the SNOW
itself He thought persons feet would remaiI
wet longer with snow water than with the waite
a formed by salt and snow. This mixture, how
. ever, makes coll-r slush lie did not thinl
the fluid would change vegetable colors ar,
n . IL ,av
IT tral. He was not positive as to whether
a would affect leather lie thought, however
there was no difference 10 the rotting effect.
takes very small amount Of salt 10 preven
d putrfaction. He would recommend the meltin
IF Of snow by sailing as preferable to letting th
d snow melt of it's own accord. He thought th
horses would be less injured by ,ravellin
through a slush of salt aud snow, for shoi
: time, than through the snow itself for long,
= period"
II This testimony, coming from u gentlema
0, versed in chemical science, and standing /
> the head of his profession in "a first cla'
'r College, one would suppose, ought to hay
oil been conclusive But it was not for, on til
IN other hand MIR. Whitall, Il school teache
II gave in his experience to the committee,
III exactly the contrary direction from that
the Professor. lie said that "childre
5e whose feet were wet from salt and sno
r. r. were more liable to cold than those who's
i feet were wet from snow. This he kne
- from actual experience Their feet also rema
~ cold much longer" This puzzled the cor
=, mittee, and left the question in very u
: certain state, in their minds They, ther
,e fore, adjourned the case over until to-day,
at as to have ample time to conclude wheth
tie to believe the statement of the man
is science or the man of letters The cor
i'll mittoe, instead of the rail tracks, are ev
of IDENTIFY in pickle
T,