Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-07-11

CARBoLIc ACID AND PoULTRY.-Of the
many discoveries which science has given to
the present age, no article has so rapidly
grown into favor as carbolIc acid-a product
of the distillation of coral tar for the pro-
duction Of naphtha, benzine, etc Its chem
zeal properties are numerous; it is alike an
antiseptic and disinfectant, and, too, when
ever and wherever brought into contact with
them is certain death to all kinds of insects.
It is a poison, but only moderately SO. to
the human system; yet from some peculiari-
" of its nature it is intensely destructive to
insect life; and to this point, in connection
with poultry and poultry houses, we desire
to direct the attention Of our readers.
All amateur and poultry breeders are but
too well aware that parasites are the pest Of
poultry houses, more especially in towns and
cities where poultry are kept in confined
limits Without, as the owner thinks, any
real cause, the fowls begin to droOp and
look sickly, and, after awhile, one by one
die off. He then becomes alarmed, examines
them, and finds them covered with parasites :;
he looks into his fowl-house, and examines
the cracks and chinks in the boards, and
finds them filed with insects-living insects /;
he is astonished; he cannot account for it :;
and then the question arises in his mind
" How can | get rid of them y Scores of
question been asked of US, and our answer
invariably has been, Use carbOlic acid. But
how to use 1t is a matter of importance
There can be no doubt about its efficiency,
bat it becomes every one to exercise care in
handling it, The acid is sold by all drug
gists in its crystalline and liquid form. In
crystal, it dissolves in twenty times its
weight of water, that is, one ounce of the
crystals require twenty ounces of water to
dissolve them. Thus dissolved, it is entirely
too strong for ordinary use.
DR.. Emmerson gives recipes for preparing
this powder for disinfecting and other pur-
poses. As whitewash for walls, for pro-
lection against insects, bugs, etc., be says ;;
Z" Put three ounces of carbolic acid into
twelve quarts of lime water and whitewash
the walls of the poultry house well with
this wash, and n living parasite will then
be seen-their death is inevitable A weak
solution may be made to wash fowls in one
part of the acid TO sixty parts of warm
water; let it cool, and then dip the fowls in
until the feathers become thoroughly wet
and the solution reaches every part of the
body. Afterwards place the fowls on clean
dry straw, where the sun will reach them
until they are dry. Another form in which
1t Is recommended for use is as a soap.
his soap is for sale by various maunfactur-
eEs ana mas a hlgh reputation Tor cleansing
animals and the cure of skin diseases. A
mode of making this soap is as follows Dis
solve three pounds Of common bar soap in
hot water, and two to four ounces of carbolic
acid, according to the strength desired.
Allow it to cool as usual in making hard soap.
AS these preparations may be bought ready
prepared, aud as carbolic acid is by no meansa
safe article to keep about the house, we
would advise persons to buy rather than to
attempt to make them, except in the case of
whitewash, when they must get the pure
article and dilute it. "-Canddian Poultry
Chronicle.