The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-22
A NEW GERMICIDE.
EIectrozOne Is Used to Purify the
City Streets.

Philadelphia Press.
Smallpox and other germs are battling
against the forces of the Bureau of Health
these days. But with the assistance Of a
simple preparation of electrified salt water
bacteria Of all kinds are put to rout effectu-
ally. With its tank wagon, holding 500 gall
lones of electrozone. the board is daily
sprinkling f%lth-laden and disease-breeding
alleyways, courts, streets, rooms and even
beds, and wherever an atom of electrozone
falls myriads Of germs die. By taking un-
usual care to isolate patients suffering
from smallpox and by disinfecting dis
ease-breeding spots the board feels assured
that smallpox will not become epidemic
in this city during the coming winter.
The germ killer IS made by the city
itself, and, though highly eficacious, costs
but a few cents a gallon. The abandoned
Twentieth district police station house,
on Fflbert street, west of Fifteenth, is
used as the mandatory. IN the cellar
are two great tanks holding about 500
gallons each, and an electrical motor of
ten-horse-power capacity directly connect
ed with a dynamo capable of generating
LOO amperes with nine. volts Of current.
Tanks, motor, water and salt are the only
necessary requirements for the prepara-
ton of the germ annihilator.
One of the tanks is used TO mix the salt
and the water. To 600 gallons OF water is
added about eighty pounds of salt. When
| the crystal mas DG6n QlSSOINSQ the prime Is
run into the other tank, in which are i'm
mersed the poles Of the electrical battery.
The heavy current passing through the
salty water produces a chemical reaction.
The sodium chloride, or salt, is broken up
into its constituent elements, and these are
united with the elements of water In a GER
tain measure. After the passage of the
current for about three and one-half hours
the water has become saturated with chic
rine gas and various chlorides, as well as
with an extra amount of oxygen. What
| hafNFa u naTnlV salt uvafpr IL nOUT Qin0-
Observation-Disclosures Of such lethal power
over bacteria that It's inventor, on one
memorable occasion, after drinking a glass
OF the hlthiest and most poisonous drain
age from Havana I'm yellow fever days,
drank three glasses Of it and lived.
The congress of physicians before whom
he appeared cautioned him that he was
about to commit suicide. But the inventor
had the courage Of his convictions. He
suffered illness from nausea, but escaped
contamination from the germs he had i'm
When electrozone is made it is pumped
into the tank wagon, a simple affair con-
sistfng merely of a large wooden tank on
wheels, and is then carted to Frankfort
or to Southwark, TO Haddington or Ger
mantown or wherever disease has found
a Judgment. Streets are sprinkled as the
water cart Of a street cleaners gang sprin-
kles them. Where the way is too narrow
much as the little lines of the chemical
engines are run. The electrozOne is then
forced through the house over carpets and
furniture. 1t leaves no stain that fresh
water would not leave, and its effect is
sure.
The work of manufacturing the germi-
eide is conducted by the Electrical Blu
reau, but the task of distributing it is
under the supervision of the Bureau OF
Health. The men who make and handle
eIectrozone have such confidence in it thai
they custOmarily drink a glass of it each
morning.
Under Mayor Warwick's administration
a plan was privately projected of estab-
fishing a plant at the mouth OF all the
water reservoirs, the object desired being
TO free the water from typhoid fever germs.
investigations were made and a rough plan
dra wn. The cost was found to be large,
however. and the attitude Of Councils to-
ward the mayor was such that he realized
the hopelessness of attempting 10 secure
an appropriation even for promoting the
health of the city, and the scheme was
ahaudOned.