Disinfection of the Dejecta 169 



So far as is known at present, superficial disinfection by 

 formaldehyd leaves nothing to be desired. Care must, 

 however, be exercised to see that the required volume of 

 gas is generated to disinfect the apartment. A sufficient 

 concentration of the gas is absolutely necessary. The appa- 

 ratus selected should also be one capable of discharging 

 enough of the gas in a short time, as, if the evolution of the 

 gas is too slow, polymerization is apt to occur, with the 

 result that its disinfecting power is destroyed. 



Disinfection with formaldehyd is, however, only super- 

 ficial, its penetrating powers being limited. The discharge 

 of gas into the room should only be preliminary to other and 

 more thorough disinfection and sterilization of the contents 

 by the application of solutions of disinfectants to the wood- 

 work, and to the boiling of the linen, etc. 



The Dejecta. In diphtheria the expectoration and nasal 



Fig. 32. Pasteboard cup for receiving infectious sputum. When used 

 the pasteboard can be removed from the iron frame and burned. 



discharges are most important and should be received in old 

 rags or in Japanese paper napkins not handkerchiefs or 

 towels and should be burned. The sputum of tuberculous 

 patients should either be collected in a glazed earthen vessel 

 which can be subjected to boiling and disinfection, or, as is 

 an excellent plan, should be received in Japanese rice-paper 

 napkins, which can at once be burned. These napkins are 

 not quite so good as the small pasteboard boxes (Fig. 32) 

 recommended by some city boards of health, because, 

 being highly absorbent, the sputum is apt to soak through 

 and soil the fingers. For the fastidious patients in cer- 

 tain sanatoria, cut-glass bottles with tightly fitting lids 

 are used to collect the sputum, and as these are not un- 

 sightly, the patients make no objection to carrying them 

 about with them. Tuberculous patients should be provided 



