FABRICS 59 



fection, in part by absorbing water, in part by making 

 a coating on objects and holding the phenol. 



Bichloride solution: GO grains of pulverized bichlo- 

 ride and 2 tablespoonfuls of common salt to 1 gallon 

 of hot water = 1 to 1000. Store in glass or earthen 

 vessels. Agate will answer. It is well to color the 

 liquid or to have a prominent label indicating 

 poison. 



Milk of lime: 1 quart of dry, freshly slaked lime 

 to 4 or 5 quarts of water. Lime is slaked by pouring a 

 small quantity of water on a lump of quicklime. The 

 lime becomes hot, crumbles, and as the slaking is 

 completed a white powder results. 



Formalin solution: 1 part of formalin to 10 of 

 water is equivalent to 5 per cent, of carbolic acid. 



Cleansing of Skin. For this purpose a 1 to 1000 

 carbolic or 1 to 1000 bichloride should be used, allow- 

 ing it to act for at least two minutes. Following this 

 there should be scrubbing with soap and water with 

 a soft brush. It is unwise to roughen the skin with 

 stiff bristles. The newer methods, using iodine-alcohol, 

 require only simple soap and water washing and then 

 a few applications of the solutions to the skin to be 

 disinfected, allowing each application to dry before 

 proceeding. 



Fabrics. Soiled fabrics should be soaked in carbolic, 

 formalin, or bichloride in this order of preference for 

 at least two hours. Mattresses should be exposed to 

 the sun or removed by health authorities for disinfec- 

 tion. After soaking infected goods in these solutions 

 they should be boiled for at least twenty minutes, 

 preferably with soap. Materials from the sick-room 



