_Redon, January 26, 1872._
THE RECENT SOLAR ECLIPSE.—NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC VENTURE AT THE
ANTIPODES.—PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE BUSH.
The most interesting event, in a photographic point of view, which I
have to report is the departure of the scientific expedition to observe
the total eclipse of the sun on the 12th of this month. The place
selected for the observations is Cape Sidmouth, some three hundred miles
south of Cape York, in Northern Australia.
The expedition has been organised by the Royal Society of Victoria, and
the expense is met by private subscriptions, largely aided by grants
from the several Colonial Governments. The Queensland Government steamer
was also placed at the disposal of the party free of charge.
The various instruments necessary for the observations were sent from
England by the Royal Society; but, owing to my absence from Sydney at
the time the expedition sailed, I am unable to give any details of the
arrangements for taking photographs of the eclipse. I hope, however,
soon to be able to give a full description of the results.
The party consists of more than thirty gentlemen, the different branches
of science being well represented; for botanists and geologists are
taking advantage of the trip to make investigations in their own
departments. For the astronomical observations Victoria sends her
Government Astronomer, Mr. Ellery, at the head of a large staff of
observers, and a photographer, Mr. Walters; while New South Wales sends
Mr. Russell, the present, and the Rev. W. Scott, the late, Government
Astronomer, and Mr. Merlin, of the “American and Australasian
Photographic Company.” From this double staff we may expect a large
number of photographs and other valuable results.
The steamer left Sydney on the 27th of November, and will return by
Christmas, before which time no news will reach us of the doings of the
party. We shall, therefore, look forward to their return with much
interest.
* * * * *
Professional photographers here do not now devote their attention so
exclusively to portraiture as formerly. The “American and Australasian
Photographic Company” has announced its intention of photographing every
house in the Australasian colonies! I suppose it finds it a profitable
speculation, as it has already photographed a considerable number of
towns, house by house. The day for each place is previously advertised,
so that the inhabitants may put themselves and their dwellings in
holiday attire. The photographs are to some extent used as
advertisements.
* * * * *
I lately came across a photographer in the far interior, some 500 or 600
miles from Sydney. He had already travelled a still greater distance
from Adelaide, in South Australia, from whence he had started on his
tour. He was plying his vocation at the various sheep and cattle
stations, and was apparently well patronised. I saw several of his
groups of aboriginals, which were very good. The black fellows were
highly delighted with their portraits, and were very anxious that copies
should be sent to their friends in other districts.
_Sydney, December 1, 1871._ E. B. DOCKER, M.A.
P.S.—The unfortunate wreck of the mail steamer has deprived us of the
journals for this month.—E. B. D.
CARBOLIC ACID.
_To the_ EDITORS.
GENTLEMEN,—My attention has been called to an article in your issue of
the 19th January, under the head “Correspondence,” by Mr. Thomas Sutton,
containing several statements with reference to carbolic acid which it
would be wrong to allow to remain uncontradicted.
First: he says carbolic acid is by no means a good antiseptic, and is
very poisonous, and then refers to persons being lately poisoned by its
_fumes_ at Wolverhampton.
As to its poisonous nature: It is, of course, a poison if taken
internally in quantity, but is not a virulent one taken in any
reasonable or probable quantity. It is, perhaps, not out of place to say
that if it should be taken internally in a concentrated form, by
misadventure, large doses of castor and sweet oil immediately
administered will materially counteract the poisonous effect of the
acid. The fumes of the acid are perfectly harmless and may be breathed
with impunity.
Mr. Sutton is labouring under a false impression with regard to the case
to which he alludes at Wolverhampton, of which the following is the
correct account:—Two dogs (not human beings) were _supposed_ to have
died from inhaling the fumes of carbolic acid emanating from a
disinfecting powder sprinkled over the floor of a workshop in
Wolverhampton, and, the following is an extract from the report of the
chemist who examined one of the dogs:—“The disinfecting powder was not a
carbolic acid powder, but an imitation; for it contained nothing but
lime impregnated with tar, and was entirely innocent of any harm to the
animals. Strychnine, however, was discovered in considerable quantity in
most parts of the viscera and in the blood. I calculated that at least
one grain and a-quarter of this poisonous alkaloid had been administered
to the animal by some evil-disposed person or persons unknown.” Thus
much for the poisoning of human beings lately at Wolverhampton by the
fumes of carbolic acid.[4]
Footnote 4:
The cattle show at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, has for the two
last years been successfully disinfected and kept sweet with carbolic
acid.
Had Mr. Sutton ever seen carbolic acid fumigation, or read about
carbolic acid, he would not have made an assertion so utterly
groundless. The writer has himself many times been for two or three
days together in a room containing a large excess of carbolic acid
fumes without experiencing any injurious effects.
With regard to the action of carbolic acid on the teeth, if Mr. Sutton
will refer to an article in the _British Journal of Dental Science_
for March, 1871, he will find “it is a powerful antiseptic, and
invaluable for the arrest of any decay or decomposition of the teeth.”
Mr. Sutton has quoted from a long letter of Dr. Dougall’s to the
_Lancet_, and I cannot do better than refer him to Dr. Sansom’s able
reply to it in the _Lancet_ of January 13th. Dr. Sansom says that the
white-cloud appearance in albuminous solutions to which carbolic acid
has been added is often really no albuminous precipitate at all, but
is caused by refractile globules of carbolic acid in a fine state of
sub-division; also, that it has been shown that albuminous solutions
are antisepted when carbolic acid exists in them in too feeble a
proportion to cause any precipitate whatever. If carbolic acid acted
as an antiseptic by coagulating albumen, agents which had a greater
coagulating power would, _a fortiori_, be more powerful antiseptics,
which has abundantly been proved not to be the case, and therefore the
antiseptic properties of carbolic acid do not result solely from its
power of coagulating albumen.
With respect to the assertion that the amount of carbolic acid vapour
which could be tolerated in the air of a hospital ward would be
entirely inadequate to act as a disinfectant, Dr. Sansom says his
experiments have shown him that _carbolised atmospheres_ are efficient
in preventing putrefaction and the growth of mouldiness, and more so
than atmospheres impregnated with chloride of lime or sulphurous acid.
Dr. Sansom objects to the experiments recorded by Dr. Dougall, since
tar oil (a crude product weak in carbolic acid, and possessing little
or no volatile disinfectant constituent), and McDougall’s powder (a
mixture of sulphites of lime and magnesia with tar oil) were used.
As to carbolic acid not being a good antiseptic, the following
reports, I think, fully prove the contrary:—
The late Dr. W. Allen Miller, F.R.S., preserved urine and fresh blood
for three months by the simple addition of five per cent. of Calvert’s
carbolic disinfecting powder—a product containing fifteen per cent. of
carbolic acid in a free state.
Mr. Wm. Crookes, F.R.S., says that he took some albumen from fresh
eggs and mixed it with an equal bulk of water. By itself it became bad
after nine days, and at the end of three weeks it smelt very strongly.
He added to four bottles of the fluid respectively 1, 2½, 5, and 10
per cent. of carbolic acid powder (equivalent to 3/20, ⅜, ¾, and 1½
per cent. of free carbolic acid). All kept good at ordinary
temperatures for forty days. Blood with 1/15 per cent. of carbolic
acid remained good for a month. Solutions of size, glue, and gum mixed
with 1/15 per cent. of carbolic acid have remained for two months
without becoming sour. Fresh yeast was washed with water containing
one-tenth per cent. Its power of inducing fermentation was entirely
destroyed.
Dr. F. Crace Calvert, F.R.S., in his paper on comparative
disinfectants, gives the following results with antiseptics upon
solutions of albumen:—
Antiseptic Percentage Time in which
employed. of acquired an
antiseptic offensive odour.
used. Temperature 70° to
80° F.
Chloride of 5 16 days.
lime
Tar oil 2 11 days.
Carbolic acid 2 remained sound six
months
None — 5 days.
The writer preserved meat for ninety days, during a hot summer, by
placing twelve ounces of fresh meat in a bottle containing one pound
of water and five grains of carbolic acid. The mouth of the bottle was
left open, and no offensive smell was emitted till the ninety-third
day. The meat was, of course, unfit for food, and was merely
experimented with to test the antiseptic power of carbolic acid.
The following is an extract from a report in _Compte Rendus de
l’Académie des Sciences_ of March 6th, 1871, by Messrs. Nelaton,
Langier, and Payen, on experiments made at the Paris Morgue by M.
Devergie:—
“During the heat of summer, when putrefying corpses in the
Morgue continually emit a quantity of noxious gases that cannot
be removed by ventilation or destroyed by chlorine or bleaching
powder, we decided to prevent their production by trying to
destroy the vitality of the germs of putrefaction, and thus
prevent decomposition itself. We effected this by dissolving one
litre of carbolic acid in 1,900 litres of water and irrigating
the bodies with the solution thus made. Putrefaction was
completely stopped, and disinfection was even obtained after
reducing the quantity of acid by one-half. M. Devergie points
out that water containing one four-thousandth part of carbolic
acid proved sufficient during the intense heat of last summer to
disinfect the deadhouse, without the aid of any shaft, when six
or seven dead bodies were lying there. * * * * * * * * * * *
Carbolic acid seems well adapted for the disinfection of rooms
which have been occupied by persons suffering from infectious
diseases; therefore, we recommend its use, after being dissolved
in thirty times its weight of water, by sprinkling it on the
floors, pavements, and staircases during the stay of patients in
rooms and for a few days after their departure.”
According to Dr. Sansom carbolic acid is readily taken up by air, so
that 159.44 cubic inches of air, at 60° Fah., contain one grain of
carbolic acid. Air thus _carbolised_ (currents excluded) entirely annuls
putrefaction and fungoid manifestation on the surface of putrescible
fluids, and such carbolised air is more permanently efficacious than air
charged with the fumes of chloride of lime or sulphurous acid, and it
may be breathed with impunity by mammifers.
These few observations will, I think, satisfy your readers that Mr.
Sutton’s remarks are erroneous and without foundation. I shall be glad
to learn that photographers have tried carbolic acid in the preservative
solution for dry plates, and would recommend them to make a solution of
carbolic acid, one part to one thousand parts of water, and then add
their albumen to this solution to the strength they require it. Above
all things it is essential that the carbolic acid be of good quality for
photographic purposes; and I would recommend them to use an acid such as
Calvert’s No. 1 (gilt label) carbolic acid.—I am, yours, &c.,