THE PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE. 433 



disinfection, a searching criticism supported 

 by abundant material will be found in the sec- 

 tion by Else Hueppe in our work upon the 

 cholera epidemic in Hamburg in 1892, entitled, 

 " On the personal care of health and the nurs- 

 ing of the sick." Many hospital managements 

 have already improved their instructions in 

 regard to disinfection according to the sug- 

 gestions contained in this paper. 



Disinfection of the linen of the sick may be 

 accomplished by isolation and collection of 

 the several pieces in a tub of water, care being 

 taken to control spilling. The individual 

 pieces are then rubbed on the soiled places with 

 soft soap, and the linen is rinsed out in cold alka- 

 line soap solution and well boiled. By this 

 process disease germs are destroyed. If the 

 linen is first placed in a steam disinfecting 

 apparatus the specks of dirt become fixed and 

 the value of the linen is impaired. Disinfec- 

 tion of linen by steam is therefore to be limited 

 to cases of necessity. On the other hand mat- 

 tresses and articles of clothing, and, when pos- 

 sible, furniture, should be disinfected in the 

 steam apparatus. 



Daily disinfection of the sick-room should, 

 apart from the essential measure of admitting 

 fresh air and sunlight, be limited to wiping 



with a damp cloth the dust from the lower 

 28 



