Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-06

most scientists would ignore, and are
serving as an object lesson Of the value
Of the sexes sharing the work Of finding
practical uses for a scientific discovery.
While the men are endeavoring to- ap-
ply the wonderful power OF liquid air TO
the firing of cannon and the better ma
nipulation Of machinery, the girls OF Bed
ford College are trying to find means Of
using il In connection with the home life
of the wife or housekeeper. Already IL
has been discovered that liquid air can
be placed in a receptacle and carried
around from house TO house. The i'm
portance Of this discovery is that il shows
liquid air can be supplied for a house
holds daily consumption just as milk IS
supplied If liquid air had TO be made IN
the home il would, Of course, preclude its
use by all but the wealthy. But if it can
be left at the door with the milk and the
morning paper there is no reason why il
should not become a part of the ordinary
domestic supplies.
AS 10 what use il would be 10 a house
Keeper experiments are yet 10 show
many valuable means OF adapting il to
the family wants. First, the girls OF
Bedford College have proved by their
experiments that liquid air can be used
I'm the refrigerator to keep fresh tho
contents of the family larder. IL is more
readily handled than ice. as a very small
quantity placed in a receptacle and left
in the ice-boX will serve the same pur-
pose as the ice and viii last week or
more before It must be renewed. The
liquid air being so much colder than ice,
that kettle Of 1t placed on ice will boil;
il requires a very little quantity Of the
newly-discovered material to keep the
contests of the ice-boX fresh. Were =
large quantity used IL would freeze solid
~ everything left in the receptacle ana
the cook would have TO thaw out the
eatables before they would be ht TO serve
at table. The value Of this discoV-
cry of a home use for liquid air Will De
apparent 70 the most inexperienced house
keeper.
The college girls are also deep in exper-
iments looking to the use of liquid air
as a germ killer. They believe that 1t
can be made to do what has ever bai1ed
scientific effort-namely, 10 Kill the germs
Of consumption and find at last
remedy for that dread disease. II the
college girls accomplish no more than
the finding Of a mean or using nqulu
air for the cure OF disease they VIII nave
earned the gratitude of the human race.
These are the two leading subjects OF
investigation just now In the laboratory
Of Bedford College. Minor QUESTIONS
such as the making OF perfume by
bringing the concentrating power ol
LIQUID air TO bear Oh the sweet-scented
flowers; the clarifying of wine by liquid
air process. and the use Of the liquid air
as a means OF cooling the air are being
Investigated by the girls, together with
a number of other equally interesting,
but not so generally useful, ideas. Out
of their researches will surely come
many valuable discoveries.
A visit TO the college is full Of interest.
There are of course, many other ueparl-
ments Of learning besides that OF chemss-
try, but that particular department was
the one with which / was most concerheu
when l called at the college. L learned
there that the course OF scientiic IN
structon at Bedford was started IN lsJ0'
in consequence of the feeling that IN the
future women would be able to ma a
useful sphere Of work. either as sanitary
| INSPECTORS under local authorities, or as
factory inspectors. With the passing OF
the factory and the workshop act IN 1872
By which the sanitary control OF London
workshops was plaC ed in the hands OF
district councils. IL was felt that ii would
become necessary for them 10 appoint a
woman as inspector OF those workshops
in which women alone were employed
| This was the opportunity seized upon py
the council OF Bedford College TO provide
the necessary training. The course ex-
| tends over a year. and includes lectures
| and practical work in hygiene, ohysi1lo-
| Ky and bacteriology, chemistry, physics
and msteorology.
The laboratories are six In number; two
are fer physics and the rest are sacred
TO physiology, zoology. botany, and chem
! istry. respectively. When | was ushered
| into the chemistry laboratory / found
| the girls deep In. their liquid-air re-
| searches. Each girl wore a smock-frook
| OF colored linen. Each IL as busy as any
| soyer over the apparatus on the bench