DISINFECTION AND STERILIZATION. 171 



water. This equals in value the 5 per cent, carbolic 

 acid solution. 



9. Creolin, Tricresol, and Lysol are of about the same 

 value as pure carbolic acid. 



The proprietary disinfectants, which are so often 

 widely advertised and whose composition is kept secret, 

 are relatively expensive and often unreliable and ineffi- 

 cient. It is important to remember that substances 

 which destroy or disguise bad odors are not necessarily 

 disinfectants and that there are very few disinfectants 

 that are not poisonous when taken internally. 



[NOTE. The cost of the carbolic solution is much 

 greater than that of most of the other solutions, but 

 except for the disinfection of the skin, which in some 

 persons it irritates, generally is to be much preferred 

 by those not thoroughly familiar with disinfectants, as 

 it does not deteriorate, and is rather more uniform in 

 its action than some of the other disinfectants.] 



Methods of Disinfection in Infectious and Contagious 

 Diseases. 



The diseases to be commonly guarded against, outside 

 of surgery, by disinfection are scarlet fever, measles, 

 diphtheria, tuberculosis, smallpox, typhoid and typhus 

 fever, yellow fever, and cholera. 



1. Hands and Person. Dilute the carbolic solution 

 with an equal amount of water or use the bichloride 

 solution without dilution. Hands soiled in caring for 

 persons suffering from ontagious diseases, or soiled 

 portions of the patient's body, should be immediately 

 and thoroughly washed with one of these solutions and 

 then washed with soap and water, and finally immersed 



