Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-08-15
Road Dust Defended.
MERCER TWP, Aug. 5, 1888.

EDS. CITIzEN:-In my last l stated
''dry earth is the best disinfectant in
the world" Your Bruin correspond
ent inquiries, "what disinfectaDt prop.
critics does road dust contain"
Road dust is dry earth. Earth to
earth and dust to dust" The living
of tomorrow are built up from the de-
caying of to-day. The earth is the
proper absolvent of all she produces.
"In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth, etc" Nothing
has been created since and nothing has
been lost. Earth is natures greatest
isinfectant. All decaying matter,
either animal or vegetable, must re-
turn home to "mother earth" and she
receives it and appropriates.
Decaying matter, mari, phosphates,
&c, which are used as fertilizers for
our wheat fields, form part of the wheat
we eat, supporting our bodies, which
in turn must return 10 earth. Nature
has not only made provisions for life,
but for health, that life might be pre-
served
For instance, the atmosphere is the
most agreeable respirant, and the best
calculated to support animal life of
any combination of gasses, that can
possibly be made. But in passing
through our lungs by breathing, it be-
comes carbonic acid gas, a deadly poi
son. But behold Gods hand in that
tree by our dwelling; its leaves set to
work at once, absorbing the poison
from it, setting the oxygen free, and it
is again ready for respiration. Now,
Mr.. Editor, l will answer your cores
pondent's question. But first let me
ask. what is it in that tree that decom-
poses the air that have rendered pois-
onous by breathing, and restores it to
q healthy atmosphere. | answer the
hand of God-Nature, if you please to
call it so. Dry earth is itself disin-
fectant, naturally God has made it so.
Your correspondent might as we'll
ask, what disinfecting properties chlor-
inc contains 1t is disinfectant itself,
God has given it certain properties
which are governed by certain laws,
which laws are consistent. The laws
of nature are laws of health, the viola
tion of which is followed by penalty.
AsI am speaking of chlorine, allow
me to use it to illustrate some of these
laws. l have already said it is a dis
infectant; 1t is also in its pure state an
exceedingly suffocating gas. 1t unites
| with hydrogene readily IN the light but
not in The dark. Suppose we shut the
blinds of our bedroom, shutting out the
sunlight, the air becomes damp, or
loaded with observation-disclosures; the
chlorine gas that is present, ready to
disinfect the room, cannot unite with
the hydrogene because of the darkness.
There is a law in nature that gasses
uniformally mix irrespective of their
gravity. But in the case above we
| lose the benefit of the disinfectant un-
der this law, because we shut the light
out of our room, again, one proportion
of Chlorine and one of mercury makes
| Calonel, a medicine, while t,oo proper
tions of Chlorine and one of mercury
make corrosive subliment, a deadly
poison. / might cite too many such
laws, some of which seem to be special
laws; 1 cannot speak of them here,
may at some future time, but for the
present must return to the subject ot
dry earth as disinfectant and deOdor'
izer. Yes, it is deodorizer, a power
full one. No decaying matter can con
tinue to emit disagreeable odors wher
completely covered with perfectly dry
earth and kept covered to the depth o
but few inches.
In your issue, some weeks ago, you
recommended salt and lime as a cheal
disinfectant. Salt is chloride of sod
ium, uniting with lime forms chloride
of lime, good disinfectant. If you
correspondent would ask me what dis
injecting properties salt contained,
would answer chlorine, and when h'
asks, "what disinfecting propertie
road dust contains" l answer dr.
earth, and it acts as an absolvent. Th
alpha and omega under divine law.
Who has not heard of the Dry Eartl
Patent Closet? :?
We do not see animal and vegetable
matter undergo decomposition ant
emit disagreeable odors, while in per
fectly dry state. AS moisture is neces
sary to all life, so is moisture necessary
to decay, because as already stated, tn
living is built up from the decayinl
and moisture is the medium for trans
mission, that is, the properties are car
ried in fluid state by an mate princi
pal or law of nature, that is to say th'
hand of God. While dry earth MAJ
not be used in sufficient quantities as t.
prevent decomposition entirely it does
arrest it by absorbing a part of tn
moisture and acts as o deodorizer by
absorbing the escaping gasses.
Road dust is the cheapest form il
which it can be obtained as it is al
ready pulverized. Again would urge
all who prize good health, with yard:
and outhouses, free from all disagree
able odors, to use it freely especially
from now till autumn frost, as it il
generally most sickly season. Use i
in bitches and drains of the yard and
about the door and board walks.
MILO.
Whenever oil of turpentine, ben