, 1866-06-02
LIME EILNS IN THE CITY.
fheir Eject on the Public Health

ase.- =,
LIME KILNS IN THE CITY.
Their Eject on the Public Health.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
Without aspiring to the peculiar scientific
and historic accuracy In regard to lime kilns,
carbonic neid gas, casburctted hydrogen,
plague, &C., Of ]. B. R., VIC arc satisfied to
be sustained in our position by such lesser
lights In toxicolog5 and hygiene as Layoisier,
Chrfstison, DavT, De La Beche, Black, Van
Helmont, Thilorier, Adams, Farnday, Parent,
Ducllatelet, Orfala, Thenard, Dupuytren,
Scheele, Gaultier de Claubray, Turner. Silt.
man, Green, Hare, Lleblg, With many others,
Wedonot understand the application Of the
term communicant Zone who communes al
the Lords table, or is entitled to do SOL to
the subject in hand; and will proceed to the
analysis Of j. B. RS structures. He does not
tell Us how many lime k1lns are necessary in
Chicago as Is 'shseienic mediumsn to produce
60 "positively beneficial /" Influences that
mankind shall become immortal on the
earth. Therefore We will very motcstly In
quirc Of what the contents Of the lime kiln
In question orc composed when prepared for
Ignition; what Is produced BY the process Of
combustion and the course taken By the
gases; what its capacity; the number and
proximity OF persons thereto: also the rcva-
lency Of the historic fact Of the great dle In
the city Of London In 1865 as connected with
the plague, carburetted hydrogen, DC. &c. :
First. At the bottom Of the kiln Is placed
one cord Of wood, then coal, then lime7toue,
or as it is technically called, carbonate OF
lime, then coal and limestone mixed. Its ca
Eacity Is Eaid to be for one hundred aud twcu-
ty-fiTe or more barrels Of caustic, or burned
lime, per day. There Is locked up In every
"a ffr raj HFrY1 IA 1f
sand feet Of carhonic acid gus, which must
be expelled by the burning Of 1t with coal,
coke, wood, or other conhnstiDle material,
TO expe1 this gas from the stone and produce
the quick lime. One half ofthe carbonic acid
gas Is more easily expelled than the other
hals, which indicated the existence Of d.
carbonate Of lime. Water facilitating the es-
cape Of this last half, with tllc air. Is used for
tllat purpose by the pipes spoken Of By J. B.
R., and Is regarded al only mechanical IN It's
or vapor iu nnother. He admits the produc-
tion Of aO1ne carbuuic Rcid gas by the CON-
bustfon NJ wood and coal, whicl. we agree to,
but fails TO tell us OF the sulphrseta In the
coal used, and that In the process Of this
combustion lydrosulphnric acid, or sulphu-
rctted hydrogen, Is evolved, as we'll % sui.
phurous usid: the last Of which, feS some
hitherto not fully explained reason, does not
dccom 3ose She former md precipftatc the
sulphur.
AaIOlHlC HEta HGS, luE bpAElku3 lEluAl{6 Ot
the ancicnts, the spiritus sylvestris Of Van
Helmont, fixed air, acid yapos and AERIAL Ecid,
are synonymes also. By miners It is c.salcd
choke damp. The Grotto del Cane near
Naples. Is cavity IN rock. through the t1s-
sures Of which carbonic acid Is evolved und
las received It's name, from the practice q
putting dogs into It who fall instantly down,
tUdocated.
i The Wiley of Poison IN Java, is another
| spot where this acie escapes from the earth,
i t.. 1--$t- -
fourths Of mile in circumference and from
thirty to thirty-dye 1ast deep, lllcd to the
hei7ht of about eighteen feet with carbonic
acia. gus. Mr. London. snys the bottom Is
covered with the skeletonsof men and various
otlef animals, who have 1aflsn victims to Its
destructive operation. HC thrust in dog
the animal fell in fourteen seconds. At or
dinary temperatures and. pres5ures this gas
will poar from one vessel to another, is invIsi-
bic, ir-cspirable, has a faint o3or and sharp
taste. Its specific gravity is 1.5945. 1t Is
neither 'ombnst1h,c ~ nor snpserter Of com
which, when heated in this gus. takes fire. II
cxtingnishss most burning: bodies when
introduced into it In the fs-nited condi-
tiou. Under pressure OF 81 atlaospherrs at
Sc degrees 1t il d ll,npid colo.{ess liquid.
When the pressure is removed from this
liquid, the cold produced by tho evaporation
OF one part 5 SO great that another freezes.
lis formula:
Equiv. VT. Per ct- Sp. IT.
oayss1 os!1Sa aseRss sos ts1 o45:en xaps: e.: g5 s
Carhonic oxide gas. .e.i5
Quick lime absorbs it, md Is used in mincs
and wells to 7emove 1t. 1t mixes uuly me-
It proyokea sFasm Of the glottis, and death
instantly occurs. With more tlau.twice its
volume Of air, 1t may be taken into the lungs,
and then It ac.s as narcotic polson,. Its spe-
spinal system. DR.. G, Bird has shown that
an atmosphere containing tive per cant Of It
proved fatal to a bird In thirty minutes, aud
It is believed that yery much smaller pro-
portion would be attended with dangerous
and fatal consequences. Dr.. Chrisiison as
rious gas or vapor known.
The density Of atmospheric air at the same
temperature and pressure IL assumed, as the
| standard Of comparison for the dcnzities Of
said therefore TO be 1.0oo0, carbonic acid gas
being l.5345, OF more than fifty per cent
| heavier. Atmospheric air contains as IN
average one two.thousandth part Of ezrhouic
| acid Gus, which seems to be the amount our
heuellccnt and nl-wise Creator designed We
should enjoy rs hygelnc medium.
Hydfosulphueic acid, or sulphurctted hy-
drogcn, another gus evolved during he COM
bustion, is coiorless, Transparent re. has a
specific gravity Of l.l100. When mixed with
/ SQiuLlSS VI AtllUatLGIlC alIs Et u&uSEu
gas or carburctted hydrogen, Its presence
may be detected by white lead mixed with
| water aud spread On card. Under pressure
Of II atmosp4eres at 50 deg, the gas con-
tlcnscs into li,npid liquid; this liquid freezes
at 1e2 deg, aul forms a white, Crystalline sub
stance.
Formula: Hyiroccn- Inns
It acts on man as poison, especially
IL f4f,.Yx, 1f hn 11r%r
moderately diluted. its respiration causes i'm.
mcdatc insenslbility, With depression Of al
the powers Of life. Still more diluted, II
causes conrulhions; and when the air L
slightly contaminated With 1t, 1t causes nau
.ca. sickness, debility and headache. Sui
plants, even in very minute quantities. Or
nninlais it Is nn irritant aud asphy1Iatina
agent II aa attempt be made TO inhale 1t, i
exciles spasm OF the glott1s. Diluted largely
will, an, it may be taken into the lungs, ant
then acts as local irritant, causing cough
heat, paiu aud often death.
TEcee gases, with the rariGed air, ascend
short distance, from the throat Of tue kilt
where they issue, the atmospheric air being
lightest and most easily rariled rises fastest
| rapidly condensed mud Eoon descend, lndiB!
their level at or In close proximity to th
| eartll's surface. In damp still weather the,
| rest near the kiln: Ii The wind Is dry ans
/. | D5lSk lucy NAY reach ulStluCE OF IlOlu OE
4 to two thousand ieet, and there yield thet
mephitic influence.
Within eighty or 100 feet of this kiln fanl
| lies reside. About 5u1 or Goa feet east north
! east is the Haven school building, where usou
LOCO children aud their tsachcrs congrc:,ute
, I The general density Of the population III th
Immediate vicinity is too we'll known to re
. quire explanation.
Carhurettcd hydrogen contains only one
| twentieth part Of carbonfc acid gas aud as l
ia not specially generated in q nme Kiln, "
DO not comprehend the relevancy otit MI
the oil regions, 10 lime kiln in Chicago. Wit
: these facts before lis, We do not yet see til
"positiyeiy bcneticIal' influences to be prc
!, tluccd on the residents, and children OF th
Haven School who come within the range.
!, Neither cal, ne understand the pertinenc
! OF tho Plaque In London, or the Great Fir
: therein also, which Ia stated by J. B. R. to
in the time Of Charles the First. He ce
tn1nly cannot refer to the epidemic Of plaGu
: IN London In 1905, for Charles, Prince {
y Wales, was not known as Charles the Fir:
: Till after tho death Of James the First, III
= father, which occurred IN 1875. In 1ta
: Charles the First was beheaded.
The next crldemy Of plague In London a{tt
!. 1Cn; occurred in 1866, If We may credit sue
: nen as DR.. Glsson {who was then Reeius Pr
!; fessor at Canbridge), DR.. Nathaniel Page, D.
: Wharton, and Dr, Brooks.
L Charles the Second. by his royal authorit.
> commanded the Royal College Of Ply sicial
ttpr+ a. II