The Art of Preserving Health; Outlines of Practical Hygiene Adapted to American Conditions (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1893. Excerpt: ... in this way should first be scrubbed clean with soda, and after this it is to be made perfectly dry. Then, coal-tar is used to impregnate the fibres of the wood and to enter all fissures. If heated till of the consistency of oil, the coating will run in. Yet care is then needed that the heating be not done too near to the floor because of danger of fire. For this reason, it is generally preferable that the coal-tar be introduced in a cool state. This can be effected by incorporating into it one-fourth of its weight of heavy coaloil. A thin layer of this mixture is applied in a cold state by means of a brush. The floor should have been well cleaned, and a solution of corrosive sublimate in the strength of one part to one thousand of water (or a little more than one drachm to a gallon) may have been applied to the cleansed floor if necessary for antiseptic purposes. In any case, the floor must be dry before the tar mixture is applied. After the first coat has dried in for two full days, a second coat of the tar and oil is brushed well into all parts. A third and final coat is added two days after the application of the second coat. The odor disappears in a few days, and a smooth polished surface remains which is antiseptic, preventive of all parasites, and easily kept clean, needing only a slightly dampened mop or cloth to remove dust. A bunch of wool or a hair brush upon which a few drops of petroleum or linseed oil have been put may be rubbed over this floor surface to maintain or restore its polish. The same inexpensive coating can be used upon wall boards. Cleanliness of the floor where it joins the wall is greatly aided by the use of a rounded, concave moulding for the junction of wall and floor. Crevices and irregular surfaces on walls and floors harb...