172 BACTERIOLOGY. 



again in the solutions. The nails should always be 

 kept perfectly clean. Before eating the hands should 

 be first washed in one of the above solutions, and then 

 thoroughly scrubbed with soap and water by means of 

 a brush. 



2. Soiled Clothing, Towels, Napkins, Bedding, etc., 

 should be immediately immersed in the carbolic solu- 

 tion, in the sick-room, and soaked for one or more hours. 

 They should then be wrung out and boiled in the soap- 

 suds solution for one hour. Articles such as beds, 

 woollen clothing, etc., which cannot be washed, should 

 at the end of the disease be referred to the Health De- 

 partment, if such is within reach, for disinfection or 

 destruction ; or if there is no public disinfection, these 

 goods should be thoroughly exposed to formaldehyde 

 gas, as noted later. 



3. Food and Drink. Food thoroughly cooked and 

 drinks that have been boiled are free from disease germs. 

 Food and drinks, after cooking or boiling, if not immedi- 

 ately used, should be placed when cool in clean dishes 

 or vessels and covered. In the presence of an epidemic 

 of cholera or typhoid fever, milk and water used for 

 drinking, cooking, washing dishes, etc., should be 

 boiled before using, and when cholera is prevalent all 

 persons should avoid eating uncooked fruit, fresh vege- 

 tables, and ice. Instead of boiling milk may be heated 

 to 80 C. for one-half hour. 



4. Discharges of all Kinds from the Mouth, Nose, Blad- 

 der, and Bowels of patients suffering from contagious 

 diseases should be received into glass or earthen vessels 

 containing the carbolic or bichloride of mercury solu- 

 tion, or milk of lime, or they should be removed on 

 pieces of cloth, which are immediately immersed in one 



