422 A YEAR IN SCIENCE 



their rapid growth if they are not destroyed. The 

 simplest and one of the most effective measures for 

 killing germs is heat. Fortunately germs can not 

 withstand a boiling temperature, and if dry heat or 

 boiling water is applied for about an hour, they will 

 be destroyed. Ordinary cold temperatures do not kill 

 germs, but they do prevent their rapid multiplication. 

 Drying is destructive to many. Light, especially bright 

 sunshine, kills most microbes in a few hours. Many 

 poisons known as antiseptics and disinfectants are also 

 used. 



Disinfection. The process of destroying germs is 

 called disinfection. People do not generally realize the 

 necessity of careful disinfection during and after 

 disease. Because disinfection is so frequently neglected 

 preventable diseases continue to attack mankind. A 

 little more care in this direction would save many 

 lives. 



The simplest methods for disinfection are boiling and 

 airing clothing and bedding in the bright sunlight. 

 Most methods, however, depend upon the use of 

 poisons. The method used generally depends upon the 

 nature of the particular disease. For example, in 

 tuberculosis, pneumonia, or colds, the sputum should be 

 burned. Handkerchiefs or any clothing containing 

 discharges from the nose or throat should be thor- 

 oughly soaked in an antiseptic or boiled, and should 

 not be put in with the common laundry before this is 

 done. In diseases, such as typhoid fever or cholera, 



