The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-01-12
NOGes ON Recent Discoveries and
Facts OF science.
BY DIR. THOMAS NICHOLSON.

J preservauves- Its extraordinary win
tues as a neutraliEer and purihcative Of
decomposition and fstid odor, excells the
: wonderful effects even Of carbolic acid.
DR.. Budd, Of Bristol, England, one oi
the most indehtigable public servants
. living speaks OF it as "the antiseptic OF
the future" Like carbolic acid, Il il
death to insects, with this great advan-
tage-it Is perfectly harmless 10 vegetation,
and hence il will be one of inestimable
value to the farmer for the destruction Of
insects, worms, bugs, etc.
Prof John Gamgee, in the Chemist and
Druggist, gives an excellent account Of
1t, 10 whom L am mostly indebted for the
substance of this article.
The chloralum is chemically hydrate
of the chloride of aluminium, and IL, there
fore, salt. All the aluminous salts pre-
serve organic compounds, but the agent
under consideration arrests the process Of
decomposition more quickly and effectu-
ally than anything yet known. As a
medicine its virtues are undiscovered
yet virtue is in it, and its history will be
marvellous in the records of therapeutics.
Nay, it is not altogether unknown medi-
cinally. 1t has been tried in a few in
stances, and the good results were start
ling. As an antiseptic il will displace
the more or less poisonous, and, therefore,
dangerous solutions of chloride of lime,
| chloride of zinc, caustic carbolic acid, the
preparations Of copper, the permanga-
mates, sulphurous acid, etc. The ugly
stains and most unpleasant sneezing fumes
evolved by these articles render il very
frequently annoying and inconvenient 10
use them. The chloralum is free from
all these objections Ii has not only an
agreeable odor, but has pleasant taste
also. AS TO agreeableness of odor and
taste have been using thymic acid, but
all must give way to this delightful anti
septic, as all hypsonotics have given way
to choral hydrate, the vanquisher OF
sleeplessness-the Balm of Gilead.
Its power of preservation may he judged
of by the following experiments with il
In solution Of it-and not very strong
Prof Gamgee immersed raw hide, fresh
meat, the feet of cattle, rough fat and
other articles of like nature, for a period
varying from a few minutes 10 twenty
four hours, with the result of perfect pre-
servation and sweetness months amer
ward.
them at any time after they were stepped |
in the solution, which is n common occur |
renee with the best of the old means Of /
preservation. In solution, Of the spe- |
cific gravity of !, 900 TO / ,040, he picked |
meat, and fed it to retriever dog daily /
for some time. The dog devoured the
meat as delicious morsel, became plump
and glossy, and was thrifty in every re-
spect. This was n positive demonstration
that the new agent is not poisonous. AT
ter this successful experiment he pre-
served various kinds Of fish. He says
" tried large quantities of plaice, soles,
cod, whiting, mackerel, haddOck, mullet,
and other kinds. Some were bought
when far from fresh, and dip purified
them and arrested decomposition. A
flabby cod, of suspicious appearance, be-
came firm, and was good eating after
days immersion"
A quantity Of them were procured at
Thurso, Aberdeen, and Galway, and
merely dipped in a solution. They were
sent TO London without ice, and kept in
good order for several days. A sea trout
was dipped in a solution-only dipped
and for thirty hours was exposed TO 80
degrees of heat. 1t was afterward
sent TO London, where two friends Of
Prof. Gamgee passed their judgments of
its savory taste. Its flavor was as excel
lent as salmon transported in ice. The
FREELY would still be bringing delicious
meat to New Orleans, had the company
known Of this hydrated chloride of alumni /
mum. The time is not far distant when
meat, perfectly fresh, juicy and rich with
It's own peculiar flavor, will be brought ,
from Texas and other places by this pro-
cess Of preservation, or one something
similar.
The new preseryative is not only adapt
ed to keep meats fresh, but is equally good
for vegetables, fruits, etc.
We all know the power Of alum 20 pre-
,ipltate the impurities of water, but the {
Drecipitating power of this relative of ..
alum is hardly equaled by anything else.
For this purpose alum will lose its long +,
popularity. And for sewage purposes,
or hospitals, dead-houses, museums, and
purposes of general disinfection, it will /
axe the lead for some time TO come. The d
sanitarian is looking for
Yard TO the time when this substance, or
better yet undiscovered, shall v
stamp out" every epidemic, plague or II
'estilence. An efficient antiseptic for the y
of this end is a desidera-
UNI second to nothing in the economy Of n
uman progress. If chloralum is as far b
head of carbolic acid as this great SER
ant TO human welfare is ahead Of every =
hing else of the land, revelations Of a v
most marvellous character may be looked v
or with certainty. Since the introduc u
r IL. | -
ific physicians have had their eyes opened :
0 see the amazing results Of the conserve v
i've treatment, limbs, and not unfre- "
uently the whole Of man, once consigned j..
D the CHASTITY dead-house, are now saved. ii
he old principle Uis medicat-iE ndturae =
eigns as popular monarch in the con- ,
lotions of all medical men. =,
Already chloralum has achieved good :"
anne in curing many destructive diseases a.
animals-such as foot and mouth dis 9,
ases, rot in sheep, cholera in hogs, CLAN y
ers and distemper in horses, etc. Il
In diseases of man, for which carbolic q
cid has been found so efficient, the chic -.
alum is the remedy. Various forms Of 3,
lood poison are destroyed by its admin b.
tratiOn. 1t is a remedy for erysipelas, v
zeal contagious infammations, and such 4,
Elections Of the eyes and ears Of children: ar
iseases of the nose and throat, and dis Oh
asses of the bowels; in chronic and acute
ischarges, hemorrhages, etc. In a short ~ ~
me the medical journals will be teeming "a
18th notices of its great curative effects. ey
A solution of il may be perfumed with &C
ergamot or other aromatic essential oil, IA
nd be put on the face and hands as a pro
,ction against mosquitoes. The soap Sc
lakers, too, will turn it 10 use. ~ ~