02 DESTRUCTION OF BACTERIA BY CHEMICALS 



pasting strips of paper over them, and the room left 

 sealed for twenty-four hours; this saves much of the 

 vapor for disinfection and protects inmates of other 

 parts of the house. Any remaining odor may be dis- 

 placed by sprinkling ammonia about. 



Instruments. Instruments, including syringes, may 

 be boiled for five minutes in a 1 per cent, solution of 

 washing soda. Knives, however, should be kept in 

 alcohol. Gauze should be sterilized at 120 C. or 

 248 F. and 15 pounds' pressure. 



Pasteurization. This consists in the heating of a 

 substance, milk usually, to a temperature below the 

 boiling point, usually 140 F. to 56 C., which kills the 

 non-spore-bearing bacilli, and holding there for a few 

 minutes. It is then cooled as rapidly as possible to 

 a point at which bacteria do not usually multiply, 

 that of the ice-chest. This does not sterilize the sub- 

 stance, but in the case of milk may render it more 

 likely to spoil afterward if not properly taken care of. 



Sunlight. A most admirable disinfectant is sun- 

 light. Direct sunlight will eventually kill all bacteria, 

 and it is wise to expose materials from the sick-room, 

 whether from an infectious case or not, to as much 

 sunlight as possible. 



