DISINFECTANTS AND DISINFECTION 



341 



c. Disinfection of the Clothing Worn by the Patient and of the Bedding. 

 All clothing worn by the patient and all bedding, as soon as ordered 

 changed, should at once be immersed in a hot, 5 per cent, solution of 

 carbolic acid or a 2.5 per cent, solution of cres. comp. or lysol. After 

 soaking for several hours the clothing should be boiled in water for 30 

 minutes at least. After thorough drying, perferably in the sun, the cloth- 

 ing should be well ironed. The ironing process in itself has very marked 

 germicidal powers. Clothing may also be disinfected in formalin (4 

 per cent.). Sulphate of copper and sulphate of iron discolor and cor- 

 rode the cloth. All cloth fabrics and clothing which has been in close 

 contact with a patient suffering from diphtheria, cholera, plague or small- 

 pox, should be destroyed by burning whenever feasible. 



d. Disinfection of the Sick Room. The bed frame, the chairs and other 

 wooden furniture, the floor and the wood work of the room, may be washed 

 or wiped with corrosive sublimate (i-iooo), formalin (3-4 per cent.) or 

 phenol (5 per cent.), if contamination is suspected or if so ordered by the 

 physician, even while the room is still occupied by the patient. 



Just as soon as the patient is taken from the room, a thorough disinfec- 

 tion should be carried out at once, the disinfection including furniture, 

 clothing of the patient, bedding, mattresses, pillows, etc., excepting such 

 articles as are ordered destroyed by burning. 



Every pharmacist should fully inform himself regarding the state laws 

 and city ordinances governing health and quarantine regulations. State 

 and city boards of health usually issue free bulletins on methods of disin- 

 fection in communicable diseases. Copies of these should be on hand for 

 ready reference. 



For room disinfection, formalin or sulphur are used. With formalin 

 the procedure is as follows: For every 1000 cubic feet of space there is 

 required one pint of formaldehyde (the 40 per cent, commercial formalin) 

 and 8 ounces of commercial potassium permanganate. Place the perman- 

 ganate in an agate lined or iron pail of about ten times the capacity of 

 the disinfectant to be used, spreading the permanganate evenly over the 

 bottom. Set pail containing the crystals upon a brick, iron stand or other 

 support, in a tub, pan or dish partially filled with water. See that win- 

 dows and doors are closed and sealed (excepting the exit). The room 

 should be warm and moist, a condition which may be effected by sus- 

 pending sheets wrung out of hot water about the room. In a steam 

 heated flat, steam may be allowed to escape from the air vent of a radia- 

 tor; or steam may be generated outside of the room and conducted in- 

 to it by means of rubber tubing. Do not have an open fire or flame in 

 the room to be disinfected as the gas to be liberated is somewhat inflam- 

 mable. Having ascertained that all is in readiness, pour the formalin 



