634 SANITAS 



surrounded by vats of water, maintained by steam at a 

 temperature of 140 Fahr. In each receiver are placed 

 thirty gallons of American, Russian, or Swedish oil of 

 turpentine, and about double that amount of water. The 

 oil gradually becomes darker in colour, its specific gravity 

 and boiling point are raised, and it acquires a balsamic 

 odour resembling camphor and peppermint. As the process 

 continues, the turpentine (C 10 H 16 ) is oxidised, producing 

 camphoric peroxide (C 10 H 16 3 ), which is gradually converted 

 into another antiseptic camphoric substance (C 10 H 16 2 ), and 

 the soluble hydrogen peroxide which passes into solution 

 in the water. 



The several essential oils of the terpene series (C 10 H 16 ), 

 as well as cymene (C 10 H 14 ) and menthene (C 10 H 18 ), undergo 

 similar oxidation, and give rise to the same products. In 

 this way pine forests, especially during sunshine following 

 rain, render the atmosphere not only pleasantly balsamic 

 but antiseptic, more highly oxygenated, and curative for 

 throat and lung complaints. The Eucalyptus globulus in 

 like manner pours forth these antiseptic and highly oxy- 

 genated volatile products, which are antidotes to malaria, 

 and sometimes, it is said, even arrest the progress of pul- 

 monary consumption ; while, on a smaller scale, every 

 plant or flower producing an essential oil exerts similar 

 oxygenating and purifying effects. 



When the manufacture of Sanitas is completed, then 

 floats on the surface of the aqueous solution a yellow-brown 

 dense, oxidised oil of turpentine, consisting chiefly of cam 

 phoric peroxide, which is stated to have an oxidising 

 strength equal to that of a ten volume solution of hydroger 

 peroxide. This Sanitas oil, mixed with a suitable minera 

 or other basis, constitutes a useful disinfecting and deodoran 

 powder. It is introduced into various soaps, conferring 

 disinfectant properties, and, mixed with vaseline, oils, o 

 fats, forms serviceable antiseptic liniments and ointments 

 Melted with dammar resin and paraffin wax, a mixture i 

 obtained which is used to impregnate muslin, forming a: 

 antiseptic gauze. Disinfectant desiccants are prepared b; 

 admixture with chalk or starch. The watery solutior 

 cleared by filtration, and known as Sanitas fluid, consist 



