268 



MR. CROOKES' OBSERVATIONS ON DISINFECTANTS. 



Disinfectants of value in Cattle Plague, The in- 

 fectious matter, it appears to have been satisfactorily 

 proved, passes off mainly from the lungs of diseased 

 animals, and attacks healthy ones through the same 

 channel. The particles of contagion being so extremely 

 minute, are suspended in the atmosphere, and partake 

 in this manner of the physical properties of very fine 

 dust. It would be clearly hopeless, says Mr. Crookes, 

 to attempt to combat the virus by non-volatile, solid, 

 or liquid disinfectants. The desideratum being a 

 " volatile and liquid disinfectant which will, after first 

 acting on the excreta, the floors,- walls, &c., by its 

 gaseous diffusion, rise into the air, enter the lungs of 

 the animals, pervade the whole building, and attack 

 the hidden germs of infection, which otherwise would 

 escape " all this being done with the least possible 

 inconvenience to the cattle and their keepers. 



Eschewing hydrochloric acid gas, which is irritating 

 to the respiratory organs and inferior in action to 

 other agents, and also oil of tar and petroleum, whose 

 value depends merely on the small amount of tar 

 acid they contain, Mr. Crookes limited himself to 

 the oxidizing disinfectants chlorine and ozone, and 

 the antiseptics sulphurous and the tar acids. 



And first with reference to the action, of powerful 

 oxidizing disinfectants like chlorine or ozone, than 



