DISINFECTION. 4OI 



the skin without danger. To disinfect mucous membrane of 

 the raw surfaces of wounds these cannot be used in quite so 

 great strength. For disinfecting wound surfaces carbolic acid 

 must not be used stronger than I to 40, and corrosive is not 

 used at all. A better disinfectant in such cases is boracic acid 

 in 10^0 solution. This may be used in the most delicate 

 places, even in the eye, and acts very satisfactorily. 



In the disinfection of cattle or other animals, exactly the 

 same rules apply. The weaker carbolic solution, or the 

 boracic acid, must be used for disinfecting delicate portions or 

 the body, such as the teats, or genital parts. 



Clothing, etc. No one method can be given for the disinfec- 

 tion of clothing, but one must be guided by the nature of 

 the material to be disinfected. The following general rules 

 may be serviceable in this respect. 



1 . Burn everything which is not of great value. This is a 

 sure method of disinfection and the only satisfactory one. 



2. Boil all clothing which will not be injured by the process, 

 or if boiling is impractical, subject the clothing to steam. For 

 this purpose the material must be placed in a large closed 

 box, and a current of superheated steam passed into the box. 

 Such a method of disinfection is quite effective and may fre- 

 quently be applied to carpets and curtains, which cannot be 

 boiled. Of course the ordinary farmer will have no conven- 

 ience for such a method of treatment. 



3. Formalin Gas. Clothing too valuable to be destroyed, 

 and which cannot be treated by steaming, may be disinfected 

 by formalin gas. This of course cannot be done by the agri- 

 culturist, inasmuch as it requires special apparatus. The best 

 method of accomplishing it is to hang the clothing in a room 

 which is then filled with the formalin gas by the method de- 

 scribed later. A simple soaking of clothing in water contain- 

 ing i part of formalin to 25,000 of water is efficient. 



4. Sunlight. Sunlight cannot be depended upon as a dis- 

 34 



