DISINFECTANTS, ANTISEPTICS AND DEODORANTS 687 



infectants may, in dilution, act as antiseptics, antiseptics are 

 not often disinfectants, and in the nature of things are not 

 strong enough to kill germs, although they may hinder their 

 growth. Antiseptics may then be regarded as a subdivision 

 of disinfectants. The two terms are unnecessary and mis- 

 leading, as either might embrace both interference with the 

 growth and destruction of micro-organisms. Disinfection 

 may fall short of sterilization ; i. e., death of all germs. 

 Boiling a fluid containing micro-organisms wholly kills 

 them ; but, while disinfectants may destroy the germs of 

 disease, they often fail to kill more resistant and harmless 

 organisms, as the spores of B. subtilis. The scope of anti- 

 septics has been extended by some authors (Hare) to include 

 agents which destroy the toxic products of bacteria (iodo- 

 form) aud prevent their absorption. A discrimination be- 

 tween disinfectants and antiseptics may be made in relation 

 to their connection with the body. Those agents employed 

 to kill germs, in matter distinct from the living body, are 

 disinfectants ; while those agents applied on the surface, or 

 introduced within the body, may be classed as antiseptics, 

 since they can rarely be used in such strength as to kill all 

 micro-organisms without injuring or killing their host. 



DISINFECTANTS AND DISINFECTION. 



Air, sunlight, heat and water are naturally the best dis- 

 infectants. Air scatters and dilutes micro-organisms, making 

 them pathologically inactive. There is no more effective 

 way to disinfect a stable, in which animals are living, than 

 by free ventilation with pure air. It is well known that ani- 

 mals are less liable to contract infectious diseases in the 

 comparatively pure air of the country than in closely 

 ciowded and ill-ventilated city buildings. Likewise, the 

 contagious diseases of children mostly occur in winter, when 

 they are herded together in schools and in poorly ventilated 

 dwellings. 



To attempt to disinfect the air surrounding a patient is 

 the height of absurdity. The generation of chlorine and 



