6 
demonstrated that all danger is easily overcome by care in conducting 
the operation, and in all the house-fumigation work which has been 
done during the last five years no accident has occurred, except in one 
or two instances the burning of rugs in attempting to set off charges in 
too small vessels and a case of headache where a few whiffs of much 
diluted gas had been accidentally breathed. 
It follows, from what we have just said, that there may be danger 
from fumigating one house in a row of houses separated only by party 
walls, the other house being inhabited. Unnoticed cracks in a wall 
would admit the poisonous gas to the neighboring houses. In such a 
case a householder must consult his neighbors. In isolated houses, 
however, with the precautions indicated, the operation will be a safe 
one. The fact that Mr. Kirkland observed that English sparrows rest- 
ing on the ridge of one of his houses were killed by the ascending fumes 
indicates also that where the house to be operated upon immediately 
adjoins a higher structure to which the gas may possibly gain entrance 
there may be some danger to the occupants of the higher structure. 
It is undesirable to fumigate single apartments or rooms in buildings,. 
and this should only be attempted when the whole building can be 
vacated during the operation. In case of contiguous houses of loose 
construction an arrangement should be made so that the adjoining 
houses also may be vacated during fumigation. 
In handling the acid great care should be used in pouring it from the 
bottle and in putting it into the vessels to avoid spattering on the hands 
or face, since it will burn rapidly through the skin, and should it spatter 
into the eyes would cause serious inflammation, or if on the clothing it 
would burn a hole in the garment. Should a drop fly to the hands or 
‘face, bathe the part promptly and freely in water, and the same also 
for garments or the carpet. It is further desirable to have at hand a 
bottle of ammonia water to neutralize the acid should it spatter on 
clothing. 
The handling of the dry cyanide is not accompanied by any danger 
if there be no open wound on the hand, but it is advisable to wear an 
old pair of gloves in breaking up the cyanide and putting it in the sacks, 
these gloves to be afterwards burned. ‘The fact that the cyanide has a 
superficial resemblance to sugar adds to the danger of keeping it about 
the premises, and it is much better to at once deeply bury or throw 
down the sewer trap any left-over cyanide. 
SUMMARY OF METHOD. 
The general directions for treatment may be briefly summarized as 
follows: 
(1) Prepare tabular statement designating room capacity and amount 
of chemicals for each compartment, and secure the chemicals and ves- 
sels for generating the gas. 
