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XXXVI. 



ON THIOCAMF : A NEW DISINFECTANT MATERIAL. By J. 

 EMERSON REYNOLDS, M.D., F.R.S., Professor of Chemistry 

 in the University of Dublin. 



[Read May 22, 1889.] 



Every practical physician is asked from time to time " How can I 

 most easily disinfect that room ?" after infectious illness or death 

 has occurred in a household: and the answer is by no means 

 simple. The difficulty is to recommend anything sufficiently easy 

 of application in which confidence can be placed. 



Chloride of lime, Condy's fluid, carbolic acid, &c, are all more 

 or less good if they can be brought into direct contact with the 

 things to be disinfected ; but that is just the difficulty in the case 

 of a room, for mere exposure of the above-named substances in 

 solution or otherwise in a chamber is useless. If carefully sprayed 

 they — especially carbolic acid — can do effective work ; but thorough 

 spraying involves the presence of the operator in the room, to his 

 discomfort and possible danger, or the use of costly and trouble- 

 some apparatus. 



It is evident then that apartments can only be disinfected in 

 any real sense by gases or vapours of very volatile substances 

 which are known to possess the requisite power of destroying the 

 vitality of various bacteria. We are therefore practically reduced 

 to chlorine gas, nitrous fumes, or sulphur dioxide gas ; but all the 

 common methods for the production of these in sufficient quantity 

 are more or less dangerous, and disinfection by them can only be 

 properly carried out by skilled persons, since there is risk of cor- 

 rosion by powerful acids, or of setting fire to woodwork, &c. 



Since writing the chapter on " Disinfection and Contagion " in 

 the " Manual of Public Health," I have sought some simpler means 

 than is there recommended for disinfection of rooms, so that any 

 intelligent person could attain the end in view without risk of fire, 

 without the use of corrosive materials, or of large quantities of any 



