HYDROCYANIC-ACID GAS AGAINST HOUSEHOLD INSECTS. 7 



Wliile the writer thus strong!}' emphasizes the dangerous and even 

 fatal qualities of this gas when breathed by human beings, it is 

 worthy of remark that in the thousands of operations which have 

 been carried on with this gas in the course of its vai-ious applications, 

 in ditferent parts of the world, only two cases of fatal accidents to 

 human beings have been recorded. These were due to extreme care- 

 lessness in its use. In one case the operator went back into the house 

 after having dropped the bags and closed the building for some time. 

 The abundant experience which has been gained by the different 

 members of the force of this office and many others in the fumigation 

 of dwelling houses has demonstrated that all danger is easily over- 

 come by care in conducting the operation, and in all the house-fumi- 

 gation 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 olf charges in too small vessels and a case of 

 headache wdiere a few whiff's of much diluted gas had been acci- 

 dentall}^ 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 house. 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 birds resting on the ridge of fumigated 

 (houses have been 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 build- 

 ings, 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 adjoin- 

 ing 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 cyanid 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 cyanid and putting it in 



