SUPPRESSION OF CHOLERA IN MANILA. 49 



The lack of lime sometimes caiised the cessation of lime disinfection at 

 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon, but lime squads were equipped with 

 shovels, hoes, rakes, brooms, or other instruments, for cleaning houses 

 and grounds, and their spare time was utilized in digging ditches, and 

 cleaning up the yards of premises. 



Infected districts were subdivided into subdistricts ; maps were made 

 of these subdistricts, and the foreman in charge of a disinfecting wagon 

 or lime squad was furnished with a map of his subdistrict. For example, 

 Meisic was subdivided into 20 subdistricts, and Tondo into 14. 



The ordinary chemical fire engine makes an excellent disinfecting 

 apparatus. The 80-gallon tanks are charged by carbon dioxide produced 

 from bicarbonate of soda and sulphuric acid; to make an efficient dis- 

 infecting solution it is only necessarji- to add carbolic acid, creoline, or 

 some other disinfectant to this solution. The ordinary street-sprinkling 

 wagon is convertible into an excellent disinfecting apparatus. All that 

 is necessarjr is to install an ordinary pressure pump and several hundred 

 feet of hose, put in the disinfectant, and fill the tank from the street 

 hydrant. We used eleven of these wagons and four chemical engines, 

 and they were all effective. The tank wagon possessed the advantage 

 of being cheaper, as the cost of soda and sulphuric acid for charging the 

 chemical engine is not inconsiderable. In Manila the cost was offset 

 by receiving the services of the chemical-engine crew free of charge. 



Several kinds of disinfectants were used in the tank wagons. Crystal- 

 line carbolic acid does not mix readily with water in excess of the amount 

 dissolved, and requires careful handling in using it on a large scale. 

 Formalin is good, but causes a great deal of complaint from the people 

 because of its irritating properties. Crude carbolic acid, in our ex- 

 perience, did not mix Avell, and both kinds of carbolic acid, because of 

 irregular distribution of the undissolved portion in the solution, gave 

 rise to minor accidents, such as burning of the hands and feet of the 

 laborers, and the killing of dogs and chickens. The most satisfactory 

 disinfectant was Jeyes' fluid, a creoline preparation which we secured 

 from Hongkong. It is nearly "foolproof" and is very effective. It mixes 

 perfectly with water, forming a milky solution of uniform strength. It 

 does not burn the hands or feet of the laborers or children about the 

 house, and no ill effecis upon animals or chickens were noticed. 



The simplest and most effective way to use lime is with a bucket and 

 a ladle. The lime gang of from 15 to 25 men was handled by one white 

 foreman and one native capataz. Each gang was followed by a cart with 

 lime. Each native lime thrower carried a bucket and scoop or ladle. 

 After a little patient instruction, the natives learned to use the lime to 

 the best advantage, to place it where it was needed, and to avoid the 

 spots where it was unnecessary. Their instinictions were definite and 

 included liming all closets and places where faecal matter existed or was 

 likely to be deposited. 



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