SANITATION 595 



sterilize clothes, shave patient completely, bath in soft soap each night 

 for three nights, put powdered naphthaline down the shirt collar next 

 to the skin. The heat at night will dissolve it and kill any remaining 

 bugs. 



For houses and dosed spaces fumigatiofi is usually resorted to. 



The means used are usually sulphur dioxide and sulphurous acid 

 gas, formaldehyde, chlorine gas, bromine gas and nitrous acid. 



(i) Sulphur Anhydride and Sulphurous Acid Gas. 



This is generated by burning rolls of sulphur in an iron vessel with 

 a little spirit to commence the burning.' 



Three pounds of sulphur are used for each 1,000 cubic feet of closed 

 air-space yielding theoretically I'l to s'3 pcr cent, of sulphurous acid 

 gas in the space. 



The Clayton apparatus is in common use for extensive fumigations 

 with this gas. As in other methods the essential factors are to stop up 

 completely all the air holes in the place to be disinfected. It is useful 

 for large rooms, stores, ships, &c. 



Three per cent, of this gas for two hours will kill anv pathogenic 

 bacteria in exposed spaces, also rats, mice, insects, weevils, beetles, 

 cockroaches, lice, bugs, moscjuitoes, the eggs and the larvae of insects. 

 Anthrax spores are not destroyed. 



Air saturated with from 6 to 8 per cent, of the gas for six hours 

 destroys : — 



The bacillus of plague, diphtheria, cholera, typhoid bacillus, 

 tubercle bacillus, the smallpox infective agent and vaccines. 



For a loaded ship's hold use 3 per cent, for eight to twelve hours 

 and leave closed until next day. 0*5 per cent, will kill rats and insects 

 in two hours but the 3 per cent, is needed for the penetration. 



The gas destroys fruits and potatoes. It injures wheat in bags 

 but not in bulk, neither maize, rice, nor other grains in bulk. It will 

 kill the weevils in these. 



The method is more applicable for houses than any other because 

 the articles need not be removed from the house. It is easier to take 

 ,a Clavton apparatus to the house than to take the articles to the dis- 

 infector. Everything is disinfected in situ. 



(2) Formic Aldehyde. 



Formic aldehyde vapour by the alformant lamp is good. It burns 

 30 tablets per 1,000 cubic feet. The exposure is for five to ten hours. 



Trillat's autoclave for formalin is more efficient but much more 

 costly. 



Singer's apparatus uses formalin 30 per cent, with glycerine 10 per 

 cent. This is vaporized and is ejected as a fine spray. One needs 

 20 ounces of formalin for each 1,000 cubic feet, i per cent, of vapour 

 or o'5 per cent, solution will kill most organisms. It is more rapid. 



