The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-04-21

ARTIFICIAL SPRAY AND ITS USES IN MRDI-
cTSE--An English paper says: Everybody
must have seen, and most people must have
used, little toy that was exhibited a few
years ago 10 the shops Of druggists and per-
fumers, under the name Of the Perfume Vap-
orizer. II consisted Of two glass tubes, set
at right angles, aud with the line orifce of
one reaching partly over the rather wider Ori
fee Of the other. BY placing the latter YER
tieally in q bottle of scent, and by blowing
pretty strongly through the former, which
would then be horizontal, two effects were
produced-the veTiicIe tube was first exhaus-
ted of its air, and then the liquid in the bot
tie, as il rose to fill the vaccum, was broken
by the breath current into q cloud Of fine
spray, aud diffnsed in the atmosphere. II
the hand or face were so placed SIS TO receive
the stream Of spray, sensation of refreshing
eoolness was produced by IFS contact and its
speedy evapohZaiion, but the liquid was so
finely divided or pulverized that the quanti-
ty deposited would be scarcely enough to
wet the skin
This method Of dispensing liquids was
soon found 10 be Of much use in medical
practice; and one Of its early applications
was DIR. Richardson's employment Of either
spray as a means Of rapidly freezing the skin
for the purpose Of producing iDsensibility to
pain In surgical operations. In order TO
keep up a continuous supply, q small hand
bellows of india rubber was used ss the
source Of the current, and the tubes them
selves were yariously modified In order to
fulfil various requirements. Among other
applications the spray has now been largely
employed, and With great benefit as a means
of applying lotions TO the eyes, nostrils,
mouth and throat, its advantage being thst
its fine division insures its perfect contact
with the whole Of the diseased surface. and
that it Is carried by the air to parts not ae-
cessible by ordinary means. TheintTicate cav
i'ies OF the nose and the parts OF the throat
that are below those reached BY a gargle,
and perfectly exbosed to q current Of spray,
and spray has even been used as a means Of
introducing remedies directly juto the lungs
themselves The benefit Of this is, however,
at present questionable and 1t is for the
throat, above ell other parts, that spray Is
especially valuable.
The ordinary gsrgie is not only disgusting
and comparatively inefficient, but Il Is in
some cases positively injurious, because the
effort Of using 1t exerts and disturbs an in
famed part The spray, on the other hand,
only requires the patient to open bis month.
The palate is in a great degree saved from
the contact Of the remedy; and the absolute
quantity deposited on the surface is 90 small
that this may be ofa higher degree Of con
cenfrefion and power than would be pos
sibie with any liquid that was 70 be taken in
bulk into the mouth. The ingenuity Of sur
Eeons and of meehanicans has been greatly
exercised 10 contriEiDg improved and mex
peBsiye Instruments for the production Of
spray; and In the interests Of the large see
tion Of the public who sufier from OCCASION
al sore throat, we hope that in such eases
the abominAtion.of the gargie, its eombined
nastiness and ineficieney, will shortly be
only known as traditions Of the past