STOCK SOLUTIONS 53 



Other Disinfectants. Ordinary alcohol kills vegeta- 

 tive forms in a few hours. A 70 per cent, alcohol is 

 perhaps the most potent. It has lately been shown 

 that for surface disinfection no method is superior to 

 10 per cent, iodine in 70 per cent, alcohol. Some 

 defenders of this method maintain that its penetrating 

 powers exceed any other known practical disinfectant. 

 The method, while undoubtedly excellent, must remain 

 for a while sub judice before one can accept this 

 statement. Chloroform kills vegetative bacteria and 

 restrains spores, even in small qualities. Ordinary 

 soap is a good disinfectant, particularly by its solvent 

 power on the simple organic substances. Its effect is 

 increased by the addition of common washing soda. 



PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF DISINFECTION 



Stock Solutions. As given by Park, these can be 

 made as follows: 6 ounces of carbolic acid in 1 gallon 

 of hot water this is about a 5 per cent, solution. It 

 is milky at first and must be stirred thoroughly. 



Bichloride solution : 60 grains of pulverized bichlor- 

 ide and 2 tablespoonfuls of common salfc to 1 gallon 

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

 vessel. 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 quick lime. The 

 lime becomes hot, crumbles, and as the slaking is 

 completed a white powder results. 



