Something New

[Eva Elisabeth]

Laurie, you are WONDERFUL!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!! What a treat! You made me so curious, and the Amazon review, too, I indeed was about to purchase it!
As for the apples - since I, too, am "a great eater of apples", I can't wait to learn how Abraham Lincoln dined them. I just now he knew "an apple a day keeps the doctor away":

“Mr. Lincoln was a great eater of apples. He said to me once that a man should eat and drink only that which is conducive to his own health. ‘Apples,’ he said, ‘agree with me, ‘and he added, ‘a large per cent of professional men abuse their stomachs by imprudence in drinking and eating, and in that way health in is injured and ruined and life is shortened,” (told fellow lawyer, Charles S. Zane).

Right a minute ago the postman rang and delivered the "Tripp" book - THANK YOU!!! You made my day and summer break!

[L Verge]

You are quite welcome, Eva. My daughter has told me not to move to the great beyond and leave her with all my worldly goods to get rid of. A good portion of those goods are books, so I am starting to recycle them to good homes. I am keeping my assassination library, however, in hopes that my grandson will enjoy them - or at least sell them for college funding.

My biggest concern is what will happen to my collections of antique valentines and decorative eggs.

[BettyO]

Laurie -

I have the very same concern. No one in my immediate family (and yes, it's quite small) appreciates books. My sister (who has read only one book in her life, I believe - GWTW and it took her three months to read that!) told me she will "sell" my library as it's "worth a lot of money." Over my dead body! HA! I'm doing the same and leaving my entire Godey collection of 19th Century ladies books (and it's a BIG one) to either the Surratt House and/or my university library. My assassination library, I'll donate to Surratt House if they want it. As I have no kids nor grand kids - the antiques I own (as well as antique jewelry) will go to cousins, etc.

[Gene C]

Is this what your talking about Betty?
I've never heard of it before, but it does look kind of interesting. This site is a subscription service and the charge for individuals is $59.95 annually. There may be a lower cost site that has the same info, I just haven't looked for it.

http://www.accessible-archives.com/colle...adys-book/

I know you and others collect "penny dreadfuls" Is there a decent web site that might have a few of these on-line? Or some of favorite titles that might be in the Internet Archive?
I did find this - http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/dp/pen...s_toc.html

[Eva Elisabeth]

I couldn't get the question of the history of artificial ice making out of my mind, so I did a little research, and hope it's ok. I share some milestones:

BC
- 1000: The Chinese cut and stored ice.
- 500: Egyptians and Indians made ice on cold nights by setting water out in earthenware pots.

AD
- At some point, perhaps in fourteenth century China or seventeenth century Italy, it was discovered that the evaporation of brine (salt water) absorbed heat and therefore a container placed in brine would stay cold.

- 1700: In England, servants collected ice in the winter and put it into icehouses for use in the summer.

- 1720: Dr. William Cullen, a Scotsman, studied the evaporation of liquids in a vacuum.

- 1748: The first known artificial refrigeration was demonstrated by William Cullen at the University of Glasgow.

-1800: Maryland engineer Thomas Moore coined the term "refrigerator" for his device that would now be called an "ice box" — a cedar tub, insulated with rabbit fur, filled with ice, surrounding a sheet metal container. Moore designed it as as a means for transporting butter from rural Maryland to Washington, DC. Its operating principle was the latent heat of fusion associated with melting ice.

- 1805: Oliver Evans of Pennsylvania designed a compressed ether machine, the machine is never built.

- 1820: Michael Faraday (remember the cage you seek in thunderstorms...) liquified ammonia to cause cooling.

- 1843: Nancy Johnson of Philadelphia received the first U.S. patent for a small-scale hand-cranked ice cream freezer (which Laurie mentioned in post #30). These machines comprise an outer bowl, and a smaller inner bowl with a hand-cranked mechanism which turns a paddle, sometimes called a dasher, to stir the mixture. The outer bowl is filled with a freezing mixture of salt and ice. Adding salt to the ice causes freezing-point depression. As salt melts the ice, the heat of fusion allows the ice to absorb heat from the ice cream mixture, which freezes the ice cream.
   
- 1844: American physician John Gorrie*, built a refrigerator based on Oliver Evans' design to make ice to cool the air for his yellow fever patients. In 1851, he was awarded US Patent 8080 for an ice machine.

- 1853: Alexander Twining was awarded US Patent 10221 for an icemaker. In 1855, James Harrison received a similar patent for an icemaker in Australia.

- 1855: Dr. Gorrie built a compression refrigeration system based on Faraday's experiments.

- 1867: Andrew Muhl built an ice-making machine in San Antonio, Texas, to help service the expanding beef industry. In 1873, the patent for this machine was contracted by the Columbus Iron Works, which produced the world's first commercial icemakers.

- 1873: German scientist-entrepreneur Carl von Linde built the first practical and portable compressor refrigeration machine in Munich - for a brewery, of course! He invented a continuous process of liquefying gases in large quantities that formed a basis for the modern technology of refrigeration. (The Linde AG, founded in 1878, today is the oldest German engineering company still in operation.)

Two "cool" trivia:
- A Monitor Top refrigerator was sent on a submarine voyage to the North Pole with Robert Ripley (the originator of 'Believe It or Not') in 1928, the year after its introduction.
- The millionth Monitor Top refrigerator was presented to Henry Ford in a special radio broadcast in 1931.

* Since I think this man deserves to be known (sorry - just a "wiki"- summary, the previous was not):
   
John Gorrie (Oct. 3, 1803 - June 29, 1855) was a physician, scientist, inventor, and humanitarian. Born on the Island of Nevis to Scottish parents on October 3, 1803, he spent his childhood in South Carolina. He received his medical education at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Western District of New York in Fairfield, New York. In 1833, he moved to Apalachicola, Florida. Despite being resident physician at two hospitals, he served (at various times) as a council member, Postmaster, President of the Bank of Pensacola's Apalachicola Branch, Secretary of the Masonic Lodge, and was one of the founding vestrymen of Trinity Episcopal Church.

Dr. Gorrie's medical research involved the study of tropical diseases. At the time the theory that bad air caused diseases was a prevalent hypothesis and based on this theory, he urged draining the swamps and the cooling of sickrooms. For this he cooled rooms with ice in a basin suspended from the ceiling. Cool air, being heavier, flowed down across the patient and through an opening near the floor. Since it was necessary to transport ice by boat from the northern lakes, Gorrie experimented with making artificial ice.

After 1845, he gave up his medical practice to pursue refrigeration projects. On May 6, 1851, Gorrie was granted Patent No. 8080 for a machine to make ice. Impoverished, Gorrie sought to raise money to manufacture his machine, but the venture failed when his partner died. Humiliated by criticism, financially ruined, and his health broken, Gorrie died in seclusion on June 29, 1855.

Another version of Gorrie’s “cooling system” was used when President James A. Garfield was dying in 1881. Naval engineers built a box filled with cloths that had been soaked in melted ice water. Then by allowing hot air to blow on the cloths it decreased the room temperature by 20℉. The problem with this method was essentially the same problem Gorrie had. It required an enormous amount of ice to keep the room cooled continuously. Yet it was an important event in the history of air conditioning. It proved that Dr. Gorrie had the right idea, but unfortunately was unable to capitalize on it.

Dr. Gorrie may have also invented the ice cube tray in its current form.

(Got a bit lengthy - sorry.)

[Eva Elisabeth]

I forgot to mention (just don't like such things half done) how refrigeration generally works: it's the process of removing heat from an enclosed space, or from a substance, to lower its temperature. A refrigerator uses the evaporation of a liquid (refrigerant) to absorb heat, which evaporates at an extremely low temperature, creating freezing temperatures inside the refrigerator. It's based on the following physics: - a liquid is rapidly vaporized (through compression) - the quickly expanding vapor requires kinetic energy and draws the energy needed from the immediate area - which loses energy and becomes cooler. Cooling caused by the rapid expansion of gases is the primary means of refrigeration today.
This was William Cullen's design and drawing:
   
As for coining the term - it derives, of course, from Latin, the Latin word "refrigerium" literally means ‘refreshment’. Since mourning traditions have often been discussed here: In ancient Rome, the word refrigerium referred specifically to a commemorative meal for the dead consumed in a graveyard. These meals were held on the day of burial, then again on the ninth day after the funeral, and annually thereafter.

[RJNorton]

(07-26-2014 06:06 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  I couldn't get the question of the history of artificial ice making out of my mind, so I did a little research, and hope it's ok. I share some milestones:

BC
- 1000: The Chinese cut and stored ice.
- 500: Egyptians and Indians made ice on cold nights by setting water out in earthenware pots.

AD
- At some point, perhaps in fourteenth century China or seventeenth century Italy, it was discovered that the evaporation of brine (salt water) absorbed heat and therefore a container placed in brine would stay cold.

- 1700: In England, servants collected ice in the winter and put it into icehouses for use in the summer.

- 1720: Dr. William Cullen, a Scotsman, studied the evaporation of liquids in a vacuum.

- 1748: The first known artificial refrigeration was demonstrated by William Cullen at the University of Glasgow.

-1800: Maryland engineer Thomas Moore coined the term "refrigerator" for his device that would now be called an "ice box" — a cedar tub, insulated with rabbit fur, filled with ice, surrounding a sheet metal container. Moore designed it as as a means for transporting butter from rural Maryland to Washington, DC. Its operating principle was the latent heat of fusion associated with melting ice.

- 1805: Oliver Evans of Pennsylvania designed a compressed ether machine, the machine is never built.

- 1820: Michael Faraday (remember the cage you seek in thunderstorms...) liquified ammonia to cause cooling.

- 1843: Nancy Johnson of Philadelphia received the first U.S. patent for a small-scale hand-cranked ice cream freezer (which Laurie mentioned in post #30). These machines comprise an outer bowl, and a smaller inner bowl with a hand-cranked mechanism which turns a paddle, sometimes called a dasher, to stir the mixture. The outer bowl is filled with a freezing mixture of salt and ice. Adding salt to the ice causes freezing-point depression. As salt melts the ice, the heat of fusion allows the ice to absorb heat from the ice cream mixture, which freezes the ice cream.

- 1844: American physician John Gorrie*, built a refrigerator based on Oliver Evans' design to make ice to cool the air for his yellow fever patients. In 1851, he was awarded US Patent 8080 for an ice machine.

- 1853: Alexander Twining was awarded US Patent 10221 for an icemaker. In 1855, James Harrison received a similar patent for an icemaker in Australia.

- 1855: Dr. Gorrie built a compression refrigeration system based on Faraday's experiments.

- 1867: Andrew Muhl built an ice-making machine in San Antonio, Texas, to help service the expanding beef industry. In 1873, the patent for this machine was contracted by the Columbus Iron Works, which produced the world's first commercial icemakers.

- 1873: German scientist-entrepreneur Carl von Linde built the first practical and portable compressor refrigeration machine in Munich - for a brewery, of course! He invented a continuous process of liquefying gases in large quantities that formed a basis for the modern technology of refrigeration. (The Linde AG, founded in 1878, today is the oldest German engineering company still in operation.)

Two "cool" trivia:
- A Monitor Top refrigerator was sent on a submarine voyage to the North Pole with Robert Ripley (the originator of 'Believe It or Not') in 1928, the year after its introduction.
- The millionth Monitor Top refrigerator was presented to Henry Ford in a special radio broadcast in 1931.

* Since I think this man deserves to be known (sorry - just a "wiki"- summary, the previous was not):

John Gorrie (Oct. 3, 1803 - June 29, 1855) was a physician, scientist, inventor, and humanitarian. Born on the Island of Nevis to Scottish parents on October 3, 1803, he spent his childhood in South Carolina. He received his medical education at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Western District of New York in Fairfield, New York. In 1833, he moved to Apalachicola, Florida. Despite being resident physician at two hospitals, he served (at various times) as a council member, Postmaster, President of the Bank of Pensacola's Apalachicola Branch, Secretary of the Masonic Lodge, and was one of the founding vestrymen of Trinity Episcopal Church.

Dr. Gorrie's medical research involved the study of tropical diseases. At the time the theory that bad air caused diseases was a prevalent hypothesis and based on this theory, he urged draining the swamps and the cooling of sickrooms. For this he cooled rooms with ice in a basin suspended from the ceiling. Cool air, being heavier, flowed down across the patient and through an opening near the floor. Since it was necessary to transport ice by boat from the northern lakes, Gorrie experimented with making artificial ice.

After 1845, he gave up his medical practice to pursue refrigeration projects. On May 6, 1851, Gorrie was granted Patent No. 8080 for a machine to make ice. Impoverished, Gorrie sought to raise money to manufacture his machine, but the venture failed when his partner died. Humiliated by criticism, financially ruined, and his health broken, Gorrie died in seclusion on June 29, 1855.

Another version of Gorrie’s “cooling system” was used when President James A. Garfield was dying in 1881. Naval engineers built a box filled with cloths that had been soaked in melted ice water. Then by allowing hot air to blow on the cloths it decreased the room temperature by 20℉. The problem with this method was essentially the same problem Gorrie had. It required an enormous amount of ice to keep the room cooled continuously. Yet it was an important event in the history of air conditioning. It proved that Dr. Gorrie had the right idea, but unfortunately was unable to capitalize on it.

Dr. Gorrie may have also invented the ice cube tray in its current form.

(Got a bit lengthy - sorry.)

Fascinating post, Eva! I know they tried a lot of things with President Garfield including trying to find the bullet with Alexander Graham Bell's metal detector. Like Lincoln, Garfield (after being shot) was not taken to a hospital. I read that this was because there were no hospitals in DC in 1881. That came as a surprise.

[Susan Higginbotham]

(07-27-2014 08:26 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Fascinating post, Eva! I know they tried a lot of things with President Garfield including trying to find the bullet with Alexander Graham Bell's metal detector. Like Lincoln, Garfield (after being shot) was not taken to a hospital. I read that this was because there were no hospitals in DC in 1881. That came as a surprise.

I don't know about other hospitals in DC, or about Garfield, but Providence Hospital in DC was operating in 1881 (and well before that).

[RJNorton]

Thanks. Is it known why Garfield was taken to the White House and not the hospital?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Roger, I think in those days there was no "fixed" equipment in a hospital that couldn't have been brought to the White House. In other words: at a hospital could not more have been done. In the White House instead was room and privacy no hospital could have provided. Stuart was also treated at home after his carriage accident as well as after Powell's attack. So was Major Rathbone. This was 16 years earlier, but I think even in 1881 the main function of a hospital was to provide professional care and doctors' supervision around the clock for those who couldn't afford their own staff of physicians and nurses, thus to serve mainly the poor.

According to this website:
http://featherfoster.wordpress.com/2014/...dy-part-i/
"The wounded Garfield lay in the station for more than an hour, in pain and with shock symptoms beginning. But with remarkable common sense and judgment, it was he who insisted on being taken back to the White House. He even dictated a brief reassuring telegram to his wife, who was supposed to meet him en route...
By the time the stricken man was taken back to a makeshift White House hospital room, a small army of medical men was arriving."

Here's another fascinating article on Garfield's suffering and death:
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/gar.htm

BTW, the physicians could have known better. In 1867, Joseph Lister had introduced the medical world to his concept of anti-septic surgery. The result of this discovery led to a dramatic drop in sepsis-related deaths in Europe and his practices were widely adopted on the Continent, reducing the post-surgical death rate from an estimated 45% to 15%. But American doctors were skeptical that there could be such a thing as invisible germs and were still denying the legitimacy of Lister’s ideas. They were considered too time-consuming, too complicated, and not necessary for expert physicians.

[RJNorton]

Wonderful answer, Eva. Thank you! I read on another website that the bullet was located behind his pancreas.

[STS Lincolnite]

In addition to the early "air conditioner" used to make Garfield more comfortable, Alexander Graham Bell used what you might call an early "x-ray machine" (although it didn't use x-rays) to find the bullet that remained in President Garfield.

Eva is correct in that that sterile technique had already been pioneered by this time. Unfortunately, many physicians in the United States were slow to accept it. Garfield suffered the consequences.

For those interested, I would recommend Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard. A very good book about Garfield and goes into good detail about the "medical care" the President received following his shooting.

[RJNorton]

(07-27-2014 08:48 PM)STS Lincolnite Wrote:  For those interested, I would recommend Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard. A very good book about Garfield and goes into good detail about the "medical care" the President received following his shooting.

Scott, your use of the phrase "medical care" in quotes is incredibly appropriate according to the link Eva provided:

"By the time Garfield died on September 19, his doctors had turned a three-inch-deep, harmless wound into a twenty-inch-long contaminated gash stretching from his ribs to his groin and oozing more pus each day."

Oh my.

[PaigeBooth]

A very interesting topic everyone! Although I have not studied the Garfield assassination in very great detail, I do find it fascinating. I remembered reading something about President Garfield's last minutes and thought I would share this quote:

"Garfield's chief doctor, Dr. Willard Bliss, had unsuccessfully attempted to revive the fading President with restorative medication. Mrs. Garfield, having leaned over Garfield, kissed his brow and exclaimed, "Oh! Why am I made to suffer this cruel wrong?"

It is quite sad to picture poor Mrs. Garfield.....she was clearly heartbroken.

[LincolnToddFan]

Most Americans don't know a lot about Garfield, let alone that he actually survived for as long as he did after being shot. His courage under what must have been gruesome suffering was nothing short of heroic.

I remember reading somewhere that his assassin's lawyer argued(unsuccessfully) at trial that his client should not receive the death penalty because in reality it was the president's doctors who had killed him.