Specification of Emile Guenin : disinfecting fecal matters.

  • Guenin, Emile.
Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of Emile Guenin : disinfecting fecal matters. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    2 A.D. 1867.—N° 1229. Specification. Guenin’s Improvements in Disinfecting Fecal Matters. The hydrosulphuric and carbonic gases, urates* sulphates, and carbonates, phosphates and biphosphates of potash, soda, ammonia, and lime are decom¬ posed and give up their acid principles to the oxides of manganese, magnesia, and lime, while the phosphoric acid contained in the solid matters and urine being precipitated in the form of double ammoniaco-magnesian phosphate, or 5 of ammoniaco-manganous phosphate, carries with it a proportionate quantity of ammonia permanently fixed in the nightsoil, and this quantity is con¬ siderable, as 71 parts of phosphoric acid, by combining with the magnesia and ammonia carry with them 17 parts of the latter base or nearly 24 per cent., lastly, the carbonates of magnesia and lime as well as the sulphate of lime by 10 reason of their minute atomic subdivison serve to retain when precipitated the organic azoted matters held in suspension in the liquids in such manner that in less than a week the waste waters will be completely deprived of all solid substances, and contain only one essentially fixed salt consisting of hydrochlorate of ammonia which is indecomposable by fermentation or atmospheric influence. 15 The advantages possessed by chloride of manganese saturated with lime and combined with chloride of magnesium may be summed up by stating that by its means fecal matters may be instantaneously and permanently disinfected, and their fertilizing products concentrated in a small space. The value of the product obtained by this improved process of disinfection is almost double 20 that produced by the ordinary processes. The quantity of azote retained is doubled, while as before-mentioned the whole of the phosphoric acid contained in the evacuations is extracted in the form of double ammoniaco-magnesian and ammoniaco-manganous phosphates, and consequently almost the whole of its fertilizing substances, to which may be added with advantage the 25 sulphate of lime or carbonates of lime and magnesia which are produced by the double decomposition operated in the disinfected matters. As regards mixing the disinfectant with the matters, this may be effected at different intervals or at the time of emptying the cesspools, in which latter case it is effected by the aid of the pump serving to extract the matters. The 30 disinfectant is first drawn out of the containing vessels by the pump and then forced into the cesspool, thereby in this manner a perfect mixing is at once effected, and in order to quicken the precipitation of all the solid matters in suspension in the liquids I may add two or three per cent, of raw salts of alumina resulting from the washing of aluminous schists, or a 35 certain quantity of the schists themselves in a natural state. The Invention thus consists, 1st, in the employment for the disinfection of fecal matters of chloride of manganese saturated as before-mentioned with iron, zinc, or ores of these metals or preferably with lime or magnesia or