38 MAINE AGRICULTURAL LXPLRIMLNT STATION. I909. 



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 24c. per 

 pound. In purchasing this article one should order simply 

 "commercial cresol." 



Since cresol will not mix with water some method of making 

 it do so must be found if it is to be used as a disinfecting solu- 

 tion. The plan which has been adopted is to make a cresol soap 

 which shall be, like other soaps, soluble in water and at the same 

 time carry over into the solution a considerable amount of the 

 cresol. This is done in the following way. 



Measure out 4 quarts of raw linseed oil in a 4 or 5 gallon 

 stone crock; then weigh out in a dish if lbs. of commercial 

 potassium hydroxide or caustic potash, which may be obtained 

 from any druggist at a cost of from 10 to 15 cents a pound. 

 Dissolve this caustic potash in one pint of water; let it stand 

 for at least 3 hours until The potash is completely dissolved and 

 the solution is cold ; then add the cold potash solution very 

 slozvly to the linseed oil stirring constantly. Not less than five 

 minutes should be taken for the adding of this solution of potash 

 to the oil. For 5 hours after mixing the oil and potash mixture 

 (soap) should be stirred thoroughly about once every hour and 

 then left standing for 10 or 12 hours. By the expiration of that 

 time saponification should be complete. The soap should then be 

 stirred and broken up into small pieces and ^^ quarts of com- 

 mercial cresol should be added. The soap will slowly dissolve 

 in this cresol. It may take 2 days for complete solution to be 

 effected. The length of time taken in dissolving will depend on 

 the condition of the soap which in turn varies with different 

 lots of linseed oil. When the soap is all dissolved the solution, 

 which is liquor cresolis compositus or cresol soap is then ready 

 to use. This cresol soap will mix in any proportion with- water 

 and yield a clear solution. 



As has been said, cresol soap is an extremely powerful disin- 

 fectant. In the Station poultry plant for general purposes of 

 disinfecting the houses, brooders, brooder houses, incubators, 

 nests, and other wood work, it is used in a i or 2 per cent solu- 



