The times., 1898-07-04
ENEMY OF GERMS AND PESTS.
Bisuiphide of Carbon Recognized as
Most Useful Aid.
(From the New York Sun.

CTrom the New York Sum-
Bisulphide of carbon has become of
late years one of the most useful agents
known to chemistry. 1t is a colorless, i'll
smelling liquid, which evaporates rap
idly when exposed to the atmosphere that
when a quantity ofsit is poured out upon
the grass in the sunshine hoar frost rap
idly forms about the spot. Perhaps the
most important use of the bisulphide
arises fro mits quality as a germicide. 1t
is a deadly enemy to life, both animal
and vegetable. Its practical u Sc as
germcide and insecticide depends in
large part upon It's rapid evaporation and
upon the fact that sthf resultant gas is
much heavier thaS atmospheric air.
The very latest application of bisul-
phide of carbon was made by farmer in
northern Delaware He poured a guam
tTty -of the stuff down a rat hole, waited
beside the hole with club, and in ten
or twelve minutes killed twenty-five rats.
The liquid, evaporating as it went, form
ed a heavy gas fhat Quickly permeated
every part of the blirr9w below the vent,
and the suffocatfng rats made for the
open air as rapidly as possible, only to
encounter the farmers club. The aston
ishing thing to those that know the dead
| ly character of the gas is that the rats
were able TO reach the open air, for many
small animals have been known TO perish
in a vain attempt to escape the fumes of
the bisulphide.
Mi!lers and the owners of grain eleva-
tors look upon the bisulphide of carbon
as one of their most useful agents. When
MILL an elevator or a granary becomes
infested with weevil, bisulphide of car
bon is the cheapest and most effective
/ thing to exterminate the pest. So deadly
Is the gas, however. and so rapidly does
II act that the utmost care must be taken
in applying the bisulphide. 1t is usually
sprlnked over the grain from watering
pots. The liquid is rapidly converted
into gas and the latter sinks quickly
through the grain, carrying death TO the
weevil and even to the unmatched eggs.
So long as the persons applying the liq-
uid stand above the point Of application
they are pretty safe from the fumes, but
occasionally the workmen breathe 1T
tie of the gas and have to be removed
at once to the open air, the heart is
quickly paralyZed by the action of the
bisulphide. IT is usual to treat the lower
floors OF a granary first, so that those
employed in the work may keep con-
stantly above the gas. Any animal, as
a cat or dog, shut up in an apartment
where the bisulphide is doing its work,
is found dead when the place is open.
The officer of an agricultural expert
ment station superintending the applica-
tion of bisulphide of carbon to large
/ farm granary employed several negroes
| TO sprinkle the liquid over the grain He
! took the precdution 10 have them wear
boots but almost instantly as they tramp
( ed over the newly-s -sprinkled grain they
began 10 complain OF pains in their feet.
/ One insisted that his feet were burning.
( They were kept al work with difficulty.
! When they finally reached the open air
/ they were told TO feel OF their boots.
/ Each snatched away his finger, exclaim-
/ ing that his boot was burning hot. As a
matter OF fact, although it was summer
! day the boots were very cold and the feet
/ OF The men slightly frosgbitten. The rapid
/ evaporation of the bisulphide had greatly
( reduced the temperature of the wheat
I and il, in turn, had robbed the men of
/ animal heat.
AS the bisulphide IS not only fatal to
/ life, but extremely explosive, 1t has 10
/ be handled with great care. In spite OF
! the danger attending its use however It
! is more and more employed by farmers
/ and others, and new applications of the
! gas are constantly made. The present
| use seems likely to bring about a new
! application of the agent. 1t has been dis
covered that vermin have been brought
/ into the camps from the garments fresh
from the sweat shops. and the suggestion
/ has been made that hereafter all such
clothing be treated in the mass with BIZ
! sulphide of carbon. No stain or perma-
nent III odor would,aresult from such
/ treatment, as the extremely volatile char
| acter of the agent causes the disappear
! ance of every trace Of n when cloth thus
! treated is exposed, to the air. 1t is be-
lieved that the bisulphide would destroy
not only the live vermia, but the eggs as
well