DISINFECTION AND STERILI2A TION. 1 73 



of these solutions. Special care should be observed to 

 disinfect at once the vomited matter and the intestinal 

 discharges from cholera patients. In typhoid fever 

 the urine and the intestinal discharges, and in diph- 

 theria, measles, and scarlet fever the discharges from 

 the throat and nose, all carry infection, and should be 

 treated in the same manner. The volume of the solu- 

 tion used to disinfect discharges should be at least twice 

 as great as that of the discharge. After standing for 

 an hour or more the disinfecting solution with the dis- 

 charges may be thrown into the water-closet. Cloths, 

 towels, napkins, bedding, or clothing soiled by the dis- 

 charges must be at once placed in the carbolic solution 

 and the hands of the attendants disinfected, as described 

 above. In convalescence from measles and scarlet fever 

 the scales from the skin are also carriers of infection. 

 To prevent the dissemination of disease by means of 

 these scales the skin should be carefully washed daily in 

 warm soap and water. After use the soapsuds should 

 be disinfected and thrown into the water-closet. 



Masses of feces are extremely difficult to disinfect 

 except on the surface, for it takes disinfectants such as 

 the carbolic acid solution some twelve hours to pene- 

 trate to their interior. If fecal masses are to be thrown 

 into places where the disinfectant solution covering 

 them will be washed off, it will be necessary to be cer- 

 tain that the disinfectant has previously penetrated to 

 all portions and destroyed the disease germs. This can 

 be brought about by stirring them up with the disinfec- 

 tant and allowing the mixture to stand for one hour, or 

 by washing them into a pot holding soda solution which 

 is already at the boiling temperature, or later will be 

 brought to one. 



