SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XII. No. 292 



its use widely advocated, on account of its supposed deadly effect 

 upon disease-germs and the convenience of its use. The amount 

 of phosphorus required to produce a given volume of fumes is so 

 much smaller than that of sulphur, and it can be so much more 

 easily placed in the most favorable positions for its fumes to reach 

 the article to be disinfected, that there was a general inclination to 

 substitute it for sulphur. 



In order to ascertain definitely what the value of phosphoric acid 

 is as a disinfectant, Surgeon-General Hamilton, about three weeks 

 ago, as was noticed in Science at the time, instructed Dr. Kinyoun, 

 surgeon in charge at New York, to make a series of experiments 

 with phosphorus pentoxide for the purpose of determining its utility 

 and applicability for general disinfection. Dr. Kinyoun has made 

 his report, and it will be printed in Dr. Hamilton's abstract to- 

 morrow. He has courteously consented that it shall be published 

 in the present number of Science. It is as follows : — 



" I have the honor to state that I have, in accordance with your 

 instructions as per letter of Aug. 15, made a series of experiments 

 with the fumes of phosphorus pentoxide, in view of determining its 

 utility and applicability for general disinfection. As a fact well 

 known in chemistry, when phosphorus is ignited in a full supply of 

 air, phosphorus pentoxide is formed, being a white amorphous 

 powder, volatilized by heat, and absorbing moisture with the 

 utmost avidity. It unites with water, forming hydrogen phosphate 

 or phosphoric acid. 



" When phosphorus is ignited in a closed vessel, the amorphous 

 powder of phosphorus pentoxide is precipitated on the bottom and 

 sides. It is never in suspension longer than forty minutes after the 

 combustion has been completed. 



" For the purpose of experimenting, a cask holding five hundred 

 litres was made use of for testing the germicidal powers of the 

 oxide. At first the phosphorus was placed in the bottom of the 

 cask ; but it was found necessary to place it near the top, and pro- 

 tect the cask by asbestos, on account of the great heat involved. 

 This procedure gave as a maximum heat at the bottom, where the 

 cultivations were placed, 32° C. 



" The first observation was made to determine the penetrating- 

 power of phosphorus pentoxide, which was done in the following 

 manner : Fifteen test-tubes (i" x 5") were used, in which were placed 

 several pieces of litmus that had been rendered alkaline by a so- 

 lution of carbonate of soda. All the strips of paper were saturated 

 before being placed in the tubes. Several of the tubes were left 

 open, and were put in several positions. — some vertically, mouths 

 upward ; some horizontally, and then suspended mouths down- 

 ward. Another series was covered with one, two, three, and four 

 layers of dry filter-paper. Another series was covered with mus- 

 lin, one, two, three, and four layers. A fourth was covered with 

 flannel, one, two, three, and four layers. A fifth was covered with 

 cotton, one, two, three, and four layers. 



" All the above were placed in various positions in the vessel, 

 and twenty grams of phosphorus ignited, and the cask sealed. It 

 was opened twenty-four hours thereafter. There was no change 

 observable in the color of the litmus-paper in those tubes that had 

 been closed with the substances as noted above. In the tubes that 

 were open, all had been acted upon by the acid, most in those 

 which had been placed mouths upward, and least in those sus- 

 pended mouths downward. 



" The test-tubes that were covered with paper, etc., were placed 

 under a large bell jar, and a small quantity of sulphurous oxide 

 thrown in, and in less than one minute all the litmus was turned 

 red. In another experiment on letters, newspapers, etc., having 

 been perforated in the manner that is practised at the fumigating 

 station at Waycross, Ga., each package having several pieces of 

 litmus placed in the centre, exposure for twenty-four hours was 

 made, and but little effect was observed. The litmus that had 

 been perforated showed a slight discoloration around the point of 

 puncture. Sulphurous oxide accomplished it in a fev/ minutes. 



" The micro-organisms that were exposed were recent culti- 

 vations of anthrax, yellow-fever (Finlay), typhoid-fever, Asiatic 

 cholera, and cholera nostras, the nutriment medium being agar- 

 agar. All the cultivations were made in shallow dishes about an 

 inch and a half deep and three inches in diameter. These were 

 classed in several series, the same as was done with the test-tubes. 



covered as follows : series i, of anthrax, typhoid, cholera Asiatica, 

 cholera nostras, and yellow-fever, covers of dishes removed ; 

 series 2, covered with filter-paper, dry ; series 3. covered with mus- 

 lin, dry; series 4, covered wilh flannel, dry; series 5, covered with 

 a thin layer of absorbent cotton. 



" These were exposed for twenty-four hours, then examined. In 

 the dishes that were left open was found a certain, quite a con- 

 siderable, quantity of phosphorous acid, and all the germs were 

 found to be killed. In those that were covered with paper, etc., 

 no change was noted, and innoculations from them showed all to 

 be alive. Each cultivation was also tested for the presence of the 

 acid in the medium, but in no instance was it to be found. 



" These experiments were made several times, always with the 

 same results. An attempt was also made to force the fumes of 

 the acid through absorbent cotton, using for the purpose a large 

 glass cylinder loosely packed with cotton. One hundred and 

 twenty-five grams pressure was made, but none of the fumes came 

 through it. This was readily accomplished with sulphurous oxide. 



" Our conclusions are that the phosphorus pentoxide is a surface 

 disinfectant only, having little if any penetrating-power, and is 

 wholly unfit for fumigation and disinfection where penetration is 

 desirable; that its limited scope of usefulness is altogether met in 

 the use of bichloride of mercury. No observations on the spores 

 of micro-organisms were made, as it gave negative results in fresh 

 cultivations of the different germs tested." 



HEALTH MATTERS. 

 Wounds of the Abdomen. 



We mentioned in a recent number of Science a suggestion made 

 by Professor Senn of the use of injections of hydrogen-gas into the 

 intestines to detect the presence of perforations in cases of gunshot 

 or stab wounds of the abdomen. Professor Senn demonstrated 

 the practicability of this method upon dogs, but, we believe, had no 

 opportunity of applying it to the human species. Since then the 

 method has been used in several cases with success. Dr. Mackie 

 of Milwaukee, in the Medical Nezvs, reports its use in a pistol-shot 

 wound of the abdomen. His method is thus described : " The 

 patient was etherized, and rectal insufflation effected in the follow- 

 ing manner. A four-gallon rubber bag. filled with hydrogen-gas, 

 was connected by rubber tubing with the long glass tube of an ex- 

 temporized chemical wash-bottle half filled with water. To the 

 short glass tube, passing through the cork only, was attached, by 

 rubber tubing, the rectal nozzle of an enema syringe. This bottle 

 was introduced so that the rapidity of inflation could be judged of 

 by the bubbling of the gas through the water. When the rectal 

 nozzle had been introduced, slow, steady, and continuous pressure 

 was made on the rubber bag. Under very slight pressure, the gas 

 commenced to bubble through the water. As inflation progressed, 

 the abdomen, previously flat on percussion from the umbilicus to 

 pubes, became resonant, and the area of liver-dulness diminished 

 from below upward. The inflation was continued until the abdo- 

 men became uniformly distended and tympanitic throughout. Still 

 no gas escaped through the wound of entrance, although kept at 

 the highest level. On firmly compressing the abdomen, there oc- 

 curred an intermittent escape of gas mixed with blood through the 

 wound of entrance. To demonstrate the presence of hydrogen by 

 ignition of the escaping gas, matches were employed. These proved 

 very unsatisfactory, for a burning match never once happened to 

 be directly over the wound of entrance when the gas was escaping. 

 The taper, as used by Senn in his experiments, had. in the hurry of 

 preparation, been overlooked. The escape of gas from the wound 

 of entrance positively proved that the gastro-intestinal canal had 

 been injured, so that further attempts at ignition were superflu- 

 ous." 



In concluding the report of this case, Dr. Mackie says that it was 

 impossible to diagnosticate, from the symptoms, perforation of the 

 gastro-intestinal canal. The position of the wound of entrance, 

 and the character of the vomit, were presumptive of injury to ihe 

 stomach. The general direction of the bullet, and the position of 

 the wound of exit, pointed to injury of the descending colon or kid- 

 ney : still both were intact. The symptoms of intra-abdominal 

 hemorrhage were not so marked as to justify a laparotomy. 



