38 BACTERIOLOGY FOR NURSES 



and body linen of patients suffering from contagious 

 diseases, as the procedure in ordinary laundries would 

 not insure certain results, and, again, such linen 

 must be wet with some chemical disinfectant imme- 

 diately upon its removal from the bed, as a protection 

 to the nurses and laundresses who must handle it, 

 and to prevent any contagious matter from blowing 

 about as dust. The tincture of green soap is used 

 almost exclusively in all hospitals for the cleaning of 

 hands and the field of operation, it being conceded 

 to be the best soap known for the purpose. 



The value of soap in the process of room or house- 

 hold disinfection is not wholly realized. 



Corrosive sublimate, carbolic acid, and many other 

 disinfectants used upon fine furniture and woodwork, 

 in solutions strong enough to be good disinfectants, 

 are destructive to the finish, but a 20 per cent solu- 

 tion of warm soapsuds to which has been added 

 1 ounce of petroleum to each gallon, may be used 

 upon the finest mahogany surfaces with no injury ; 

 which would appear to be a much more effective 

 disinfection than merely wiping the furniture with 

 a cloth damp with corrosive sublimate or other 

 chemical disinfectant. The addition of an ounce of 

 washing soda to each gallon of hot soapsuds, used 

 upon floors after an infectious illness or in case of 



