Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-10-03
Timely aursestions.

EDITORS APPEAI.-The assertion has been
frequently made recently that doctors and nurses
nav nave d G e 10 6n Hn v IN our a a
is tangible, that think 1t is time for rest on such
charges SO far as our physicians are concerned The
wholly new-nOt like any heretofore known and
diagnosed IN the books-to the profess On. am
not physician, nor am a scientist, but have
been close and interested observer of epidemic
diseases for many years in this latitude, and am of
the opinion that this fever is he result of poison
generated In low and undrained cities and villages
from the accumul alton of human eXcreta, combined
with other NTH. am also of the opinion that the
condition of the atmosphere has been such that
with proper dsinfecton II might have been avoided
We nave bad very airy ana warm summer, with
great humidity or atmospheric pressure, but little
thunder and lightning or storms, ana consequently
an absence Of ozone The first question is how can
we supply this deficiency of nature in the atmOs-
Then what is a dIsinfectant? And here challenge
doctors and chemi Is TO show that carbolic acid is
true dlsinfectant, and, If blunder has been COM
init ed bg our physicians or board of health it is In
its use The only true prlr ciple of dsinfecton-the
one that nature adopts, and the one that pervade5
the soI the water, the rocks and the vegetable king
dom, Is chlorine 1t is in the Soils in the ocean,
If our health board had used this, am sure the
health would have been preserved it Is easily OBJ
For our streets and the bayou 1t could have been
supplied by saturatfng common salt with nitric or
with this salt, and put it In the bayou they did
lime. salt owes Its SAVIOR 10 chlorine, or which Ii
enable US to dry meats9 ChlorineI why does clear
and unsaturated clay destroy the odor OF dead bodies
So with water and charcoal, ETC. concede that for
diseases like the Asiatic cholera and for aIreStfng
putidity of aDimal and vegetable bodies, caIbOlic
acid may be used as diSlnfectant. But 1t is VIOLA
tile, gaseous compound, that mingeS with the foul
gases generated In vaults and filthy streets, and
ders more nOXiOuS those vapors because 1t makes
the respiratory organs tender and more liable to
take and retain this fever poison. The nostrilS
the palate the lungs, and sometimes the tongue
Is tnamed by it. And all will agree that this renders
the patient mora liable to attack. The fire theory
and gunpOWder theory are mere vagaries, and are
not worthy of trial They OF course. are Intended
to supply the deficiency of electricity, or,
ito ally speaking, ozone Now ozone may be gen.
Grated atundanty In rooms dwellings aud hos itals
by any child of ten having sti * of red phOs
phOrouS and little clean water, The best method
early in the epidemic published In tue papers,
and is follows: Take a stick of PHOSPHORUS an
inch long, Scr4pe it clean as to make It bright
the outside, set it on end In sOupplate with three
fOurths of inch of water around 1t, and you have
a complete ozone generator To those VINO are not
acquainted with the character of PHOSPHORUS, 1t
may be well to say that In handling and scTaping it
must be kept under water to prevent burning. But
when set up, as here stated, and projecting one
fourth of inch above the water, there will play
around 1t a sort of blue flame, which exhausts the
inal depth. One of these simple devices is sufii-
Client for any room, and only costs few cents. For
thoroughly disilfectIng rooms, seu er half filled
with coarse salt. and two tabespooDfuls OF suphurc
aid on il 1S.Sulcient Care should be taken not
put Ii cO0Ted clothes as it will destroy cOOrs
1t is too early 10 burden your time with further
tails, but may say more at future time to the
of this epidemic and the proper pTeventives
of return. OBSERVER.