432 BACTERIOLOGY. 



in Italy in the last decade, and again in 1892, 

 and in one instance also in Germany, the in- 

 structions to admit foreign goods only when 

 disinfected were followed literally, and im- 

 ported disinfectants were disinfected. Now 

 the question is, are such disinfectants disin- 

 fected and made impotent by disinfection or is 

 their efficacy increased? 



In the presence of infectious diseases in the 

 neighborhood or in one's own family, disinfec- 

 tion of the body of healthy individuals may be 

 brought about by perfect cleanliness obtained 

 by the use of warm water and soap ; in case of 

 direct contact with contagious disease there 

 must be added the washing of the hands with 

 sublimate or solveol (neutral cresol). Only the 

 germ containing substances given off from the 

 sick, such as sputum, vomit or excreta, all of 

 which should be kept in a moist condition and 

 therefore collected in vessels containing water, 

 need be treated with disinfectants of a kind spe- 

 cified as suitable by the physician or prescribed 

 by the local authorities. Such disinfectants are 

 carbolic acid, solutol (alkaline cresol) or fresh 

 milk of lime. The vessels are then to be 

 emptied into the privy where the bacteria of 

 putrefaction will care for the remaining germs 

 more effectively. As regards many of the de- 

 tails of the earlier and mistaken methods of 



