A sanitary enquiry into the probable causes of yearly epidemics in England, as observed at Leicester / Richard Weaver.

  • Weaver, Richard.
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A sanitary enquiry into the probable causes of yearly epidemics in England, as observed at Leicester / Richard Weaver. 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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    health, while we have no opportunity of ascertaining the effects of fermenting matter in this respect. Because putrefaction in natural and spontaneous, but fermentation, as explained, is artificial and involuntary. Judging, however, from the mani- festations of the two processes, it is obvious that fermescence must be harmless as compared with putrescence, and their aesthetics as different as their influence on health. Putrid matter evolving noxious effluvia for nearly twelve months, cannot but be more hurtful than fermenting matter, almost odourless, and being fully decomposed in about four months. Nor are minute fungi any more than bacteria, proved to be hurtful when inhaled or swallowed; and those present in fer- menting organic solutions are the same as those that grow in cheese, milk, fruits, or other acid animal or vegetable substances in a state of decay, and which are swallowed with impunity. Furthermore, there are many who hold, and I think rightly, that the specific toxic principles of at least typhoid fever and diphtheria are generated de novo from putrefying animal matter, which all zymotologists freely admit forms a suitable soil for propagating the whole genus zymotica. Now the disinfecting action of the stronger acids is undoubtedly in many cases owing to their property of substituting fermescence for putrescence, this being the sure result of their moderate use in disinfection. But, as already stated, these acids when added in excess prevent and arrest fermentation and putre- faction. Their action I hold to be thus destructive, in the sense that it dissolves and annuls by causticity the structural configuration of the organic texture or molecules, which being further immersed in an acid medium is thus rendered incapable of spontaneous decomposition. The indication of albumen in the fluid by the subsequent addition of nitric acid is less pronounced than when the mixture is newly made, suggesting the probability that it would ultimately cease to coagulate on the destructive influence being prolonged.1 This corroding action of acids on organic substances is, in a hygienic sense, obviously better than the fermentive action ; and fermentation, in the same view, is again better than anti- seption. If organic matter be fermented, it is probably ren- dered incapable of engendering or nurturing zymotic poisons; if cauterised, it is amorphosed, in the sense already alluded to; but if antisepted, it is preserved. Now the antisepting of effete nitrogenous substances, excremental or otherwise, has of late been the chief point aimed at in disinfection, and 1 con- cede that, as regards fresh animal matter about to putrefy and 1 1 have nvvv found Bttch is the <.,;ise.