PRACTICAL DISINFECTION AM) STERILIZATION 119 



[NOTE. The cost of the pure carbolic acid 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, and of woodwork, it is 

 generally much to be 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, bubonic plague 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 contagious 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 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 imme- 

 diately immersed in the carbolic solution, in the sick-room, and soaked 

 for one or more hours. They should then be wrung out and boiled in 

 the soapsuds 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 Department, if such is within reach, for dis- 

 infection 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 cook- 

 ing or boiling, if not immediately 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 all persons 

 should avoid eating uncooked fruit and fresh vegetables. Instead of 

 boiling milk may be heated to 80 C. for one-half hour. 



4. Discharges of all kinds from the mouth, nose, bladder, and bowels 

 of patients suffering from contagious diseases should be received into 

 glass or earthen vessels containing the carbolic solution, or milk of lime, 

 or they should be removed on pieces of cloth, which are immediately 

 immersed in one 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 diphtheria, 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 solution used to disinfect dis- 

 charges should be at least twice as great as that of the discharge, and 



