266 BACTERIA, YEASTS, AND MOLDS 



A little alcohol is poured upon the sulphur, which is then 

 ignited and the room quickly closed. Five pounds of sul- 

 phur should be burned for every thousand feet of space, 

 and the room should be left closed for twenty-four hours. 

 While such sulphur fumes are not a perfect disinfectant, 

 in practice the method has been found satisfactory. 



In these days formalin gas is being used, more than 

 sulphur. The method of obtaining the gas is either 

 through the burning of formalin candles or the using of 

 one of the machines devised for producing such gas. 

 These, however, are always handled by boards of health, 

 and details of their use need not be given here. After 

 the use of the gaseous disinfectant all windows should 

 be thrown open to allow a free access of air. 



Disinfection by gas cannot be absolutely relied upon, 

 and there are always possibilities of a disease reoccurring 

 in the room if it is occupied immediately. It is therefore 

 wise, where possible, to leave the room unoccupied for 

 some time after it is vacated by the patient, but this is 

 not absolutely necessary. It should perhaps also be stated 

 that if the room is thoroughly washed with a disinfectant 

 solution and thoroughly aired, the use of the gaseous dis- 

 infectant is unnecessary; and if the gaseous disinfectant 

 is thoroughly applied, the washing is unnecessary ; either 

 one, if thorough, is sufficient. But the chance of some 

 slip in the application makes it wise to use both methods, 

 at least in the case of serious contagious diseases. Dis- 

 infection should always follow smallpox, measles, diph- 

 theria, tuberculosis, and typhoid fever, and it is wise to 

 adopt it in cases of mumps, whooping cough, and the 

 other lighter contagious diseases. 



