The Republican journal., 1869-10-21
THE EARTH-CuRE AND EARTH-CLoSETs

Ht Fan H-CuRE ANU LAX n -CLUSE )
If this century, so prolific in wonderful invcn
tionS and discoveries, were called upon to sa,
which among them all was the greatest, it woul,
unhiless be, looking to the real utility OF the thing
The dnding Of the astonishing absorbent and decd
oriling power of dry earth. This will be seen a
regards
!. THE FoOD QUESTION. How to prollc
more food. e. how to make the soil more fertile
is the great question everywhere and in all age>
II Tins Yeal the world has Just food enough for il
a'A'dants, it will have enough next year if ever
rtcle of that food in some form or other ,ha
GIN back to the soil to make next wears crop: but
portion Of that food, ~ in the various animal cy
.rmentS. goes ont through sewers and brooks f
he lost IN the ocean forever there must rs certain
BY lee a loss OF future food as the sinking of a sh
fi -e;t is loss of so much property. And from tn
-'a-ehorc, where for more than Two centuries thi
waste has been going on. the crowd strikes inland t
more fertile spots, which, exhausted by the sam
meats, are left hehnd for others farther on, til
soon The sterile Rocky Mountains will bar thei
steps. And could the amount of these elements o
food each lost in this country, by this washing
away Oi animal eXerements and other things useftl
a- fertilizers. be told in weight or in dollars, the
sum would be amazing indeed. A careful writer cS
tnlae~ that AT least $50, 900 0A0 arc lost every Yea
IN this country in night-soi alone. WHY ID China
,ni Japan support such lcening populations
-oaply because there nothing is suffered to 60 Il
waste. Whatever is drawn from, is again returned
to the soil, thus keeping the supply of plant food,
and so of human food, always good. And science
th~ AL its force 70 scripture in showing that man
is not onlE horn Of the fields, but must return 10
them all that he has been and is, not only con-
iiion of hi, own being but that Of Ais postcrity
also.
Now it has been found, often stated in these
columns that dry earth of a clayey or loamy Kind,
j.. 4. wonderful absorbent of all these things so use
IA, ;,a fertilizers, and such terrible nuisances-ofte
outges--when around in the usual way. A little
Of This thrown into vaults, WAer-c0Sets, private
cpmmodes, among thc house Stops OF various
kinds. not only makes them modorous. so you could
carry the article in your pocket without offence to
lcoeney aud comfort but forms highly concen-
tratcd and valuable ertilizer,-worlL much to every
family, millions to the public But speak at
This time more particularly of its value.
,. As a vast promoter of health and household
omfort
EARTH CURES. 1t ha~ long been known that in
certain external diseases, as intlammaions, poison
cia ana we have heard of people getting cured
Ay having their bodies entirely buried, with Il
Trance for breathing, in the ground, and do not
onbt the value Of such treatment, now and then;
'he earth taking into itself the morbitc matters of
The patient. But it is modern thought, we be-
icye, of applying this fine dry dirt to large. m
healthy sores, where, according to reliable testi-
mouy, it has effected wonderful cures.
1,r.,
.telphia, relates at length sever; eases where it
was tried with grand results Several patients had
been there for weeks, with large maturing sores
from wounds, exceedingly filthy and offensive in
odur which nothing seemed to arrest Filling the
sores with the earth, The matter being absorbed by
ill., ali offensive oIor7 at once ceased, as by magic,
and the sore, soon became healthy and healed up.
one lady was brought there extensively and severe
y burned; nothing could dc better than this earth
dressing Another whose entire breast mad been
renewed from cancer, had the wound dressed with
4ty euFtA The rraofi s.}, the treatment was
highly beneficial
E4RrH-CLOsErs \ xt 10 Moses. who had at
ra9t one divine law in his codc-hat which COM
milndej cleanliness among the Jews, in way too
often riiicued-the world is indebted TO Rev. II.
Noule, Of England for thi- little but great inNen-
lion, recently patented there. and, Think in this
country. 1t consists simply of 4 simple apparatus
SO contriyed rs TO throw the dry earth into the YES
sci Of the coinmode rs water is done now in some
places; and is so much better than the water rs
thi>; that while the latter only washes away the
pu matter to short distance, TO return in the form
pt un offensive, and, often. death-dealing gas
lAe earth absorl3 and renders perfectly lnOdorous
ull harmless everything But i'll most dwellings
no apparatus at all is needed. This is all We'll
clean out the places, throw upon all the foul places
Il few hindfus OF the dry earth, which repeat every
day -ts often the place is used; remove the de
post occasionally Treat vessels in the sick room
in the same way ana all the sugar, vinegar, rags
&c, now burnt t0r purifcatior, may go into Olhel
aud better service. AS We said recently in an ar
tice on Malaria, those tounesses, Of various kinds
the stuff that most of the diseases thit deSolato
houses is made Of often rendering the best nursins
and medical skill unayailing; in all cases grea
sources Of offence and discomfort, tor whose re
Inuyal these simple and cheap means ARE now pro
yieed, and whose name is " Blessed
Why must the earth be dry: As two things can
uut occupy the same place at the same time, wet
earth can no more absorb those foul things than a
sponge full Of water can take in of that liquid.
How to prepare it. Take clayey loan and spread
thin on boards in sunny place, stirring often
Sitt for the finer the better. II outdoor driving is
not convenient, a little ut a time in Old pans may be
dried on stoves, furnaces, &c. When properly pre-
pared, keep it dry, as receiving moisture from the
ar diminishes much its ab3orbing power. Fine
roal ashes do very well, but is greatly inferior to
earth; wood ashes being readily dissolved by
liquids. a c nearly useless.
10 readers who may desire further and fuller
information on this important subject than can he
given in brief article, especially to heads o
families above all, those who are erecting new o.
hanging Old dWellings,-Wc would advise them IL
lose no time in getting a small pamphlet called
- Earti-closets: how to make and how to use them
By Geo E. Warng Jr. Price % cents" BY en-
closing 25 cent scrip to O. Judd Il Co., 2f5 Broad
way, n. Y, stating the name of the work and
where to be sent, you vii get ii by mail without
further cost. Those who may have the new wOrl
recently noticed in this paper-The American Wo
mans Home-by C. Beecher and Ii. B. Stowe-wil
NOT need the pamphlet, as the book, by permission
At the author, contains it. :.
NATURAL SCIENCE
CARBoN-IIS USES. Last week we spoke of thu
$50 of nh