6 PREVENTIVK MEASURES ACiAI.NST THE SPREAI) 01' TVBERCULO.SIS- 



for pillow covers. Especially with reference to influenza, even 

 more so than tuberculosis, the adoption of such a method wOuld 

 tend to prevent the rapid spread of the disease. The covers 

 thus impregnated could readily be disinfected either by exposing 

 them to the sun or washing,' them with some antiseptic 

 sohition. 



Disinfection. 



An absolutely necessary condition for an effective contest 

 against the spread of tuberculosis is the facility for disinfection. 

 Effective disinfection of infected furniture, clothes, bedding, etc., 

 can only be successfully carried out by trained men in public 

 disinfecting chambers. These disinfecting chambers ought to 

 be established in every municipality of a certain size. They are 

 as much a necessity as a hospital, to which they might be con- 

 veniently attached. The increased cost would be made up by 

 the lessened number of patients suffering from infectious 

 diseases. We have in our Amljulance Brigade a good nucleus 

 of men who could be trained in the methods by which proper 

 disinfection of the different articles is carried out. The dis- 

 infecting chambers must be of the most modern description, so 

 that the articles to be disinfected be not damaged, neither should 

 they be handled by untrained men. A moderate fee charged for 

 the disinfection would very soon recoup for the outlay. As 

 things stand at present infected furniture, bedding, clothes or 

 other articles are either burned, if they are of low value, by 

 conscientious people, or they are more or less successfully dis- 

 infected, or what is most frequently the case, they are sent to the 

 auction room spreading the infection to whosoever has not got the 

 money to buy new things. Second-hand books are a frequent 

 source of infection. Wetting the leaves in turning them over 

 impregnates the book with the bacillus, which remains there for 

 the purchaser. As we ought to look to our public bodies for a 

 good example, may I suggest to the railway authorities that the 

 cushions on the seats of the carriages, especially the sleeping 

 cars, should be made removable, so that they may be readily dis- 

 infected it the necessity for doing so arises. The substitution 

 of linoler.i.i for the footmats formerly in use has already been a 

 step in the right direction. 



The space at my disposal does not allow n^e to deal 

 exhaustively with the whole subject in one paper. I could only 

 touch upon a few points. I do not wish to raise any unnecesary 

 alarm, but really people ought to be made to think. It is 



