Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 1, 1802).djvu/528

494&#93; 494] CH A nor could it be discerned, that one was of a finer colour than another; but those diluted with white, or sprcfad thin, bad a blueish cast. — Horns, and the bones, both offish and land animals, produced coals more glossy, and of a cieeper co- lour, than vegetables: and which, In general, were so hard that pa- per could scarcely be. stained with them : but silk, wool, leather, blood, and the fleshy parts of ani- mals, yielded soft coals Some of these remarkably differed from others, in colour; that of ivory be- ing superior to all, and doubtless tli.; finest of black produced by fire. In agriculture, charcoal has, in many parts of France and the Netherlands, been substituted for turf-ashes, as a manure; but M. Raxjlik is of opinion, that it is attended with pernicious effects on the soil, the vegetables it pro- s' 5, and the animals that feed s productions. iclcs these various purposes to which charcoal is daily applied, it also pro be of consider- able service in medicine; on ac- count of i nt and antisep- (See Breath, p. 335.) From a late account given by Dr. Metzler, an eminent physician in Germany, we learn the • ' xtraor linary fa6fc: The corpse of a person that had been murdered twelve days, was bi t '•■■■ "■ rd a coroner's inquest; and, contrary to the expectation of as not the least mark of " n, nor any of- =ive smell pert On ling the intestines of the abdo- men. ■■''■-" found in an un- usually dry state. The cause of this phenomenon was soon dis- covered ; for it appeared in the CH A course of examination, that th'd body had been kept for the whole time buried in dry coals coarsely pounded, at least twelve inches deep. It was still more remark- able, " that the cartaligenous parts, especially those of the breast, had acquired a degree of softness, re- sembling that of butter." — We submit the application of this sin- gular property to the discernment of our readers. With regard to the treatment of persons suffocated by the deleteri- ous vapour of charcoal, we shall in this place only observe, that a body in that unfortunate situation, ought to be without delay exposed to the strongest draught of cold air ; all the garments looser volatile spirits held to the nostrils ; the body rubbed either with vine- gar, or with a diluted spirit of sal ammoniac ; the face should be turned towards the ground, and the head, breast, back, &c. either washed with, or the whole body suddenly plunged into, cold water ; then dried, and again washed vinegar ; stimulating clysters re- pea'edly administered, and' vene- section performed at the jugular vein, or, for want of medical as- sistance, a number of leeches ap- plied to the neck and temples. — Of the particular circumstances con- nected with this treatment, we propose to give a more detailed ac- count, under the head of Suffoca- tion. CHARITY is one of the cardi- nal virtues of mankind, displayed chiefly in the spontaneous habit and disposition of supplying the wants of others, whether with mo- no', counsel, assistance, &c. Pe- cuniary relief, being generally re - garded as the most efficacious, it merits some attention, at a time when