Disinfectants and disinfection.

  • Smith, R. Angus (Robert Angus), 1817-1884.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Disinfectants and disinfection. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    DISINFECTION. GENEEAL AND INTEODUCTOEY. Disinfection is an art borrowing its knowledge from chemistry. Some day it may rise into a science. We may then suppose it to be a division of Colysis. The first division may be made to include Ancesthetics—substances which restrain the vital action in animals; the second may include Antiseptics —substances which prevent decay in animal and vegetable matter, for use, beauty, or sentiment; the third, Disinfectants —substances which prevent or remove the corrupt state of organic bodies, solely to prevent them injuring the atmosphere. They are all probably one, and the second and third are clearly so in principle, but in practice they are connected with very different conditions of things. We cannot separate these two in taking a survey of the subject as it stands. A Greek friend showed us a few months ago a small vessel, from the tomb of an ancient Athenian, and shaped not very unlike our pots of pomade. The lid fitted on in a loose way, as is the case with our own earthenware manufacture for the toilet-table, but the material was porous. We opened it, and strange to say the odour of attar of roses was distinct. We are informed that it was so when the tomb was discovered. This narthex, as we suppose it would be called, was not shattered, or even broken, but it illustrated Moore's verses A