INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



363 



exactly the same thing, the former can be purchased at 33£ to 64 per 

 cent less than the latter. Formalin may be applied, diluted with 

 water in the proportion of 1 part of formalin to 30 parts of water, 

 or 4 ounces of formalin to each gallon of water, and it may thus be 

 used as a wash or as a spray on all paints, metals, and woodwork, as 

 well as on clothing and other fabrics, without exerting any injurious 

 influence on the objects treated. It may also be applied to floors, 

 walls, and woodwork in whitewash by mixing 1 part of formalin to 30 

 parts of lime wash, or 4 ounces of formalin to each gallon of lime wash. 

 Formalin has the appearance of water and in the strong solution is 

 poisonous, but when diluted as recommended above it is not danger- 

 ous. The fumes given off by it, however, are very disagreeable and 

 irritating to the eyes and nasal mucous membranes. One and one- 

 half ounces of formalin added to 1 gallon of water is a valuable agent 

 for the disinfection of the skin or septic wounds, but is somewhat 

 painful and irritating to raw surfaces. 



Formaldehyde is a gas which is soluble in 2£ parts of water (40 

 parts of formaldehyde gas to 100 parts of water), and this solution 

 constitutes the formalin of commerce. . The use of formaldehyde gas 

 is in most cases impracticable for stable disinfection. In case the 

 stable is not too large and can be made almost air-tight the generation 

 of formaldehyde gas, after removing all the animals, will be found 

 very serviceable. It penetrates all parts of the stable — the walls, 

 crevices, floors, ceiling — and is probably the best fumigating disinfect- 

 ant that we have. This gas may be generated by a specially con- 

 structed apparatus devised for this purpose, but this method of dis- 

 infection, while practicable in the house, is rather inapplicable for 

 stables and should only be used by experienced persons. 



(6) Some coal-tar products, such as creolin and lysol, are cheap, 

 effective, and easily applied disinfectants, their action being due to 

 the carbolic acid and creosote in their composition. They may be 

 used in 3 to 5 per cent solution. Creolin forms a milky solution in 

 water, while the aqueous solution of lysol is clear and oily. 



When it is desired to apply any of these above-mentioned agents to 

 the stable or barnyard, a preliminary cleaning up of all debris and 

 litter is advisable, together with the scraping of the floor, mangers, 

 and walls of the stable with hoes and the removal of all dust and 

 filth. This should be followed by the burning of all such accumula- 

 tions, inasmuch as this material likewise contains the infectious prin- 

 ciple and is best destroyed by heat. Heat may be applied to the 

 surface of the affected pen, byre, or barnyard by means of a cyclone 

 burner, which consists of a tauk, pump, hose, and cyclone nozzle for 

 spraying with paraffin (gas oil). The latter is ejected in the form of 

 spray, which when ignited gives a very hot and effective flame to be 

 applied to the infected ground. Where such burning is impracticable 

 the surface soil of the yard and surroundings should be removed to a 



