418 CLINICAL BACTERIOLOGY. 



disinfectant, its capacity for penetrating the objects to be 

 disinfected for this reason oily solutions of even active an- 

 tiseptics are almost ineffective, because the oil does not 

 penetrate into the organisms its chemic constitution (upon 

 which is dependent the extent to which the object to be 

 disinfected suffers in the process of disinfection), and much 

 besides must be taken into consideration. The cost of a dis- 

 infecting agent is also not without bearing upon its practical 

 applicability upon a large scale. 



It would carry us too far to discuss individually the in- 

 numerable antiseptics that have been tested in recent years, 

 and that have been recommended for one purpose or 

 another. We shall limit ourselves to the following obser- 

 vations : 



DISINFECTION OF THE HANDS. 



Disinfection of the hands is practised at surgical clinics 

 in the following manner, in accordance with the regulations 

 of Fiirbringer : The hands are washed as clean as possible 

 in tepid water with soap and vigorous brushing for five 

 minutes, then rinsed in fresh water ; the nails are cleaned, 

 especially the spaces beneath the nails, by means of a metal- 

 lic nail-cleaner ; the hands are then rubbed in alcohol for 

 three minutes ; next they are rinsed and rubbed for a minute 

 in from y 2 to I : 1000 solution of mercuric chlorid. In the 

 event of marked contamination of the skin, it is first rubbed 

 with ether before the disinfectants are used, or the entire 

 procedure is performed twice. 



Before every operative procedure this process of rigid 

 disinfection must be carried out completely at the site of 

 operation, as well as on the hands of the operator. A simpler 

 mode of disinfection of the hands washing with soap and 

 brushing, rinsing with mercuric chlorid or alcohol should 

 be practised by physicians and attendants always after con- 

 tact with a patient, and especially before each meal. In 

 houses in which an infectious disease exists, especially in 

 times of epidemic, disinfection of the hands before eating is 

 a general duty. Instead of mercuric chlorid, the following 

 may also be employed : Carbolic acid, from 3 to 5 per 

 cent. ; creolin, 3 per cent. ; lysol, I y 2 per cent. The sub- 

 stances last named, however, have, as has been pointed 

 out, less disinfecting power than mercuric chlorid. 



