82 MAINE AGRICUIvTURAI, e;xpERIME:nT STATION. I9IO. 



Making CresoIv Disini^ecting Solution. 



In Bulletin 165 of this Station directions were given for 

 making a disinfectant for use in and about poultry houses which 

 had as its basis the powerful germicide cresol. The method of 

 making the compound solution of cresol described in that bulle- 

 tin calls for the use of commercial potassium hydroxide or 

 caustic potash. Since Bulletin 165 was issued correspondence 

 has developed the fact that farmers in Maine have a good deal 

 of difficulty in getting potassium hydroxide at a reasonable 

 price from their druggists. The question has been frequently 

 asked whether it would not be possible to use in place of the 

 potassium hydroxide the ordinary commercial lye, or "potash" 

 as it is incorrectly termed in the trade. The Station has tried 

 experiments in making cresol soap with ordinary lye or "pot- 

 ash" with successful results. The following revised directions 

 will show how the disinfecting solution can be made with the 

 use of ordinary lye, "Babbit's potash," or other commercial 

 "potashes" on the market. 



Liquor cresoHs compositus, or as it may for convenience be 

 called, cresol soap, may be easily manufactured by any poultry- 

 man. The only requisite is a careful attention to the details in 

 the process and a rigid following of the instructions given below. 

 In order to make clear the reasons for the method of manu- 

 facture which will be outlined it may be well to give some 

 account of the nature of the substance itself. The active base 

 of cresol soap disinfecting solution is commercial cresol. This 

 is a thick, sirupy fluid varying in color in different lots from a 

 nearly colorless fluid to a dark brown. It does not mix readily 

 with water, and, therefore, in order to make satisfactorily a 

 dilute solution it is necessary first to incorporate the cresol with 

 some substance which will mix with water and will carry the 

 cresol over into the mixture. The commercial cresol as it is 

 obtained, is a corrosive substance, being in this respect not un- 

 like carbolic acid. It should, of course, be handled with great 

 care and the pure cresol should not be allowed to come in con- 

 tact with the skin. If it does so accidentally the spot should 

 be immediately washed off with plenty of clean water. The 

 price of commercial cresol varies with the drug market. It 

 can be obtained through any druggist. On the day that this is 

 written the quotation on cresol in the New York market is 24 



