STERILIZA TION AND DISINFECTION. IOI 



during or after the progress of the disease. A careful 

 consideration of the condition of the sick-room will 

 lead us to a clear understanding of its bacteriological 

 condition. 



The Air of the Sick-room. It is impossible to sterilize 

 or disinfect the atmosphere of a room during its occu- 

 pancy by the patient, or in all probability after his exitus 

 from it. The concentration of the disinfecting solutions 

 given above must make obvious the foolishness of placing 

 beneath the bed or in the corners of a room small recep- 

 tacles filled with carbolic acid or chlorinated lime. These 

 can serve no purpose for good, and may be potent for 

 harm by obscuring the disagreeable odors emanating 

 from materials which should be removed from the room 

 by the still more disagreeable odors of the disinfectants. 

 The practice of such a custom is only comparable to the 

 old faith in the virtue of asafetida tied up in a corner of 

 the handkerchief as a preventive of cholera and small- 

 pox. 



During the period of illness a chamber in which the 

 patient is confined should be freely ventilated, so that its 

 atmosphere is constantly changing and replacing the 

 closeness so universally an accompaniment of fever by 

 fresh, pure air a comfort to the patient and a protection 

 to the doctors and nurses. 



After recovery or death one should rely less upon fu- 

 migation than upon the disinfection of the walls and 

 floor, the similar disinfection of the wooden part of the 

 furniture, and the sterilization of all else. The fumes 

 of sulphur may do some good when combined with 

 steam, much good but are greatly overestimated, and 

 disinfection combined with fresh air and sunlight is 

 much better. 



Indeed, I would recommend that after opening the doors 

 and windows of the sick-chamber the atmosphere of the 

 whole house be forgotten and attention be devoted to 

 other things. 



The Dejecta. A little thought will direct attention to 



