June 2, 1893.] 



SCIENCE, 



299 



the contagium are to be designated as disinfectants. An anti- 

 septic retards or prevents the development and pullulation of the 

 organism; but the organism is not destroyed. A deodorant 

 merely destroys odors, but does not necessarily have any effect 

 whatever upon the organism. 



The cholera scare of last summer inaugurated a season of ap- 

 prehension and an unprecedented demand for disinfectants. 



The universal cry for a disinfectant has given birth to a num- 

 ber of compounds, the virtues (?) of which are only equalled by 

 the number and chemical incompatibilities of their ingredients. 

 These compounds are often efficient deodorants; sometimes they 

 are antiseptics, but never are they disinfectants. 



To consummate the process of disinfection, there are two essen- 

 tial requirements, 1st, that the substance to be acted upon is in- 

 fected; 2d, that the agent employed is a disinfectant. During 

 an epidemic or in sporadic cases of infectious diseases, the effi- 

 ciency and adaptability of a given disinfectant will depend 

 greatly upon the nature of the substance to be disinfected and 

 also as to the presence or absence of spores. 



The various subjects for disinfection will now be considered 

 and under each the most available and efficient disinfectant. 



Excreta, Sputum, or other Discharges. By far the best disin- 

 fectant that we possess is the bichloride of mercury ; as in solu- 

 tion of 1 : 1000 it destroys anthrax spores after a few minutes' 

 exposure. In using this fait three precautions are to be ob- 

 served: 1st, its extremely poisonous character; 3d, its corrosive 

 action on all of the common metals, and 3d, the facility witli 

 which it combines with albumen to form an insoluble, inactive 

 compound. 



That the dangers arising from poisoning may be reduced to a 

 minimum, it will be found expedient, Ist, to color the tablets or 

 solution, whichever it may be, with one of the aniline dyes, and 

 further to keep the salt in a peculiarly-shaped bottle, conspicu- 

 ously labelled. In reference to the second precautionary 

 measure, it should never be used except in metallic vessels. To 

 prevent the salt combining with albumen acidulate the solution. 

 In Wilson's "Hygiene" we find the following formulse recom- 

 mended by the Local Government Board of Great Britain. Dis- 

 solve half an ounce of corrosive sublimate, one fluid ounce of 

 hydrochloric acid, and five grains of commercial aniline blue in 

 three gallons of water. 



Carbolic acid, in a five per cent solution, as a disinfectant for 

 excreta, though very popular, is, taken all in all, extremely un- 

 satisfactory. Upon adding such solution to a quantity of ex- 

 creta, the additional dilution and the presence of large quanti- 

 ties of organic material decidedly interfere with its action and 

 render it unreliable. If carbolic acid be used, it should be ac- 

 cording to the following formula: — 



Carbolic acid 

 Glycerine 

 Water qs. 

 Mix. 



10 parts. 

 10 " 

 100 " 



Expose the excreta to an equal quantity of this solution for at 

 least six hours. 



Chloride of lime has been highly recommended in a solution 

 containing four per cent of available chlorine. Although the 

 chloride of lime will not destroy the more highly resisting forms 

 of contagium, e. g., anthrax spores, it is a most excellent agent 

 for disinfecting the stools of cholera Asiatica and typhoid fever. 

 To make the above strength solution, dissolve six ounces of the 

 best chloride of lime, containing twenty-five per cent of available 

 chlorine, in one gallon of water. 



Underclothing, bed linen, towels, napkins, etc., if of little value 

 should be destroyed by fire, otherwise, we may expose them, in 

 a suitable apparatus, to flowing steam for fifteen minutes or re- 

 sort to boiling for twenty minutes or immersing in a 1 : 1000 

 solution of the bichloride of mercury. 



For disinfecting the hands, we recommend one of the follow- 

 ing methods: 



The nails should be short and clean. 



The hands are thoroughly washed for several minutes with 

 soap and water, the water being as warm as can be comfortably 



borne, and being changed frequently. Use a brush which has 

 been sterilized by steam. The excess of soap is washed off with 

 clean warm water. The hands are immersed for one or two 

 minutes in a warm saturated solution of permanganate of potash, 

 and are rubbed over thoroughly with a sterilized swab. Then 

 place the hands in a warm saturated solution of oxalic acid until 

 they are completely decolorized. Wash the hands with a steril- 

 ized salt solution of water. Immerse the hands for two minutes 

 in a 1 : 500 solution of the bichloride of mercury. 



The above method is used by Welch of the Johns Hopkins Hos- 

 pital. 



Professor Keen, of the Jefferson Medical College Hospital, 

 uses the following method: — 



The hands are washed with soap and warm water; the nails, 

 being cleaned and trimmed with a knife, are then scoured with a 

 sterilized brush. All loose skin about the nails is removed. The 

 hands are again washed in warm water but without soap. Im- 

 merse the hands in alcohol for two minutes and briskly rub one 

 over the other. They are then immersed in a 1 : 1000 solution of 

 the bichloride of mercury. This latter method is a most excel- 

 lent one. The writer has tested the skin and nails of the hands, 

 after being sterilized as above directed, and also the cat-gut and 

 silk, which were handled by the professor or his assistants, with 

 almost invariably negative results. 



To disinfect the general surface of the body, wash with a 

 1 : 2000 solution of the bichloride of mercury and then bathe in 

 warm water. 



Should a person die of an infectious or contagious disease, the 

 body must be cleaned and disinfected before removing from the 

 isolation quarters. To disinfect the body, first wash it in clean 

 water and then wrap in a sheet thoroughly saturated with a 

 1 : 500 solution of the bichloride of mercury. 



So long as the source of infection remains, there is a continuous 

 reproduction of the poison. It is impossible to disinfect a room 

 during its occupancy by a person suffering with an infectious or 

 contagious disease, by liberating gaseous disinfectants, as any such 

 agents of sufficient potency will kill the patient. However, the 

 wall, furniture, etc., may be washed with a 1:2000 solution of 

 the bichloride of mercury and then with warm water. In such 

 instances, the greatest reliance is to be placed upon cleanliness 

 and ventilation. If these two provisions be thoroughly carried 

 out, offensive odors will be abolished, or prevented from accumu- 

 lating in such force as to be disagreeably perceptible. Ventila- 

 tion should never be effected through another room or hallway, 

 but communication established and maintained with the outside 

 air and in such a manner as not to create draughts. As soon as 

 the infectious nature of the disease is determined, the patient 

 should be isolated. The room should contain as few articles as 

 possible. All upholstered furniture and drapery should be re- 

 moved and their places supplied by wooden articles and simple 

 muslin or linen curtains. The attendant or attendants upon the 

 sick should not be permitted to associate with other persons or 

 ■ to leave the isolated portion of the dwelling without first disin- 

 fecting their person and putting on clean clothes from the skin 

 out. The sending of unnecessary articles into the room, such as 

 extra napkins, towels, etc., should be strictly interdicted. Every- 

 thing coming from the sick quarters should be disinfected by one 

 of the methods already indicated. 



To disinfect the vacated room or rooms, first disinfect and re- 

 move all the furniture, etc., then close all cracks and crevices 

 about the windows and doors, leaving one door open ; place in 

 the room a tub in which there are about three inches of water. In 

 the centre of the tub place a large shallow pan, preferably of iron, 

 containing two pounds of sulphur for every one thousand cubic 

 feet of air space in the room. Set fire to the sulphur and drop 

 into the tub, about the sulphur pan, several very hot bricks. 

 Quickly leave the room, close the door and all crevices about it. 

 The infected quarters are now air-tight, sulphurous acid gas is 

 being generated, so also is steam, which will facilitate the action 

 of the gas and secure better penetration. The room is to remain 

 thus for twenty-four hours, then to he ventilated freely ; the 

 surfaces washed with a 1 : 1000 solution of the bichloride of mer- 

 cury and lastly with warm water. 



