USE OF GASES AGAINST HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 449 



In the fumigation, we attempted to treat one-fifth of 

 the building each successive day. It is to be noted that 

 there are three wings and a long front, twice as long as 

 each wing. This affords a natural division of the building 

 into five parts, each division containing an average of about 

 50 rooms. We begin on one wing by setting several 

 men to calking the windows and transoms with strips of 

 newspaper about three inches wide and thoroughly soaked 

 in water. The paper is first torn into strips and then 

 placed in pans of water, where it is allowed to remain until 

 thoroughly soaked. These wet strips are then quickly 

 and effectually applied to the top, bottom, and sides of each 

 window and transom and to other cracks that may be 

 found in the rooms. 



At the same time two men are placing ordinary china 

 washbowls in each room, with the proper amount of water 

 and acid in each. Beside each bowl is also placed the 

 proper amount of cyanide on a piece of newspaper spread 

 flat on the floor. 



We usually try to begin at such a time in the day that 

 the rooms in one wing will be ready for fumigation at 

 about 6 p.m. It takes the force enumerated about four 

 or five hours to do this, so that we should begin about 

 1 p.m. As a matter of fact, the time varied considerably 

 owing to unforeseen additional labor. When everything is 

 ready, two men go to the top floor, and beginning at one 

 end of the hall pass into opposite rooms, one man on each 

 side of the hall, gather the edges of the newspaper in the 

 fingers and pour the cyanide directly into the acid and 

 water, and walk quickly out of the door, closing the door 

 after them. There is little danger, apparently, in pouring 

 the cyanide directly into the acid and water, if one does it 

 2g 



