Some Sweet Science
I thought I might add to your day by showing you some Popular Science articles from September 1920. You can find this and other issues on Google Books. If you haven’t heard of Google books, it’s going to change the world. I’ll have a follow-up posting about it because there is about to be a publishing and knowledge revolution underway and I feel obliged to participate.
You might think that our science news is deteriorating and things just aren’t like they used to be. Well take a look at how things used to be and then compare.
Is the Toothbrush Harmful?
Why do we have more trouble with our teeth than our ancestors did? Today there are improved tooth-pastes and toothbrushes—and yet the amount of decay has increased.
The food we eat is generally blamed for it, but now there is a scientist who suggests that the very toothbrushes we use in order to preserve our teeth are causing the decay! He says that the toothbrush is an unnatural instrument, which damages the teeth and is not very effective for cleaning the interstices. He recommends rubbing the gums with the forefinger instead of using brushes.
(Yes we must always avoid “unnatural instruments” of any kind if we are to keep our teeth and bodies clean and healthy. Also the “interstices” or spaces between teeth are definitely not cleaned more effectively with your finger so the logic is terrific. Since this scientist is unnamed, we can’t verify his statements or ridicule him unfortunately but, I’m mostly just curious about the first sentence of the article. Did the people of the time really think their ancestors had better teeth? I’d think it’s just that people were finally addressing problems like poor hygiene that were previously ignored for centuries.)
How to Keep Hot Pipes Hot
“Will an asbestos-covered pipe keep hot longer than an uncovered pipe?”
“Yes,” you say. And we answer, “Not necessarily.”
Tests have recently been held in the research laboratory of a large electric plant, and these have shown that if asbestos is not applied properly it will tend to dissipate heat rather than conserve it. The layers of asbestos should be put on loosely. Three layers having a thickness of thirteen thousandths of an inch will reduce heat loss considerably.
(if one could only go back in time….)
Poison Gas Kills Germs
A large quantity of poison gas-which Germany introduced to us as a weapon of war—was left over when the war ended. But now some of it is being used to kill typhus germs.
A small epidemic broke out among the refugees in Paris. Most of them were wearing second-hand clothes and the authorities decided to fumigate the clothes, mattresses, blankets, even combs and brushes. The germ-laden clothes were hung for twenty minutes in a cylinder containing a mixture of chloropicrin—one of the poison gases used in the war. The epidemic soon died out.
Typhus is spread by the feces in lice often found in the deteriorated conditions of wartime and poverty. Even just normal laundering in soap and hot water kill lice in bedding and clothes. But it was the people who were really just as needy for a wash and healing any open wounds. That and removing and quarantining sick and dead individuals in their camp. But hey if the “authorities” made the decision, it must have been the best one.
It’s hard to say that it was a stupid idea as a refugee camp is going to create huge strains on time and energy, which is exactly the reason why many chemicals are created in the first place. However, both handling the chemicals daily and being nearby this makeshift cleaning cylinder was dangerous. Also looking at present day regulations for Chloropicrin when used as a soil pesticide, many cautions are taken. One of which is to “Discard clothing and other absorbent materials that have been drenched or heavily contaminated with this product’s concentrate. Do not reuse them.” Oops.
One other amusing thing to point out is this is just one issue. I’m not cherry picking these from over a year or decade. I’m scared what other advice was available at the time.
February 11, 2009 at 4:16 pm | general | No comment
