Comparison of Disinfectants 



183 



satisfactory, less destructive, and equally, germicidal formaldehyd 

 vapor. 



Formaldehyd is probably the best germicide that has yet been 



recommended. Its use for the disinfection of rooms and hospital 



wards was. first suggested by Trillat* in 1892, but it did not make 



BACTERICIDAL STRENGTH OF COMMON DISINFECTANTS 



(Adapted from Flugge, Leipzig, 1902) 



Streptococci 

 and Sta- 

 phylococci 



S minutes 



Anthrax and Typhoid Bacilli, 

 Cholera Spirillum 



5 minutes 2 to 24 hours 



Anthrax Spores 



Acids 



Sulphuric 



Hydrochloric . 

 Sulphurous. . . 



Sulphurous. 

 Boric'. 



i: 10 

 i: 10 



Alk.alies 



Potass, hydrox. . 



.\mmon. hydrox. 



Calcium 



Salts 



Copper sulphate. 



Mercuric chlor. . . 



Silver nitrate 



Potass, permang. . . . 

 "Calc. chlorid.".. . . 

 Halogens and Com- 

 pounds 



Chlorin 



Trichlorid of iodin.. 



Organic Compounds 

 Ethyl alcohol 



Acetic and oxalic acids. 

 Carbolic acid 



Lysol... 



Creolin 



Salicylic acid... .... 



Formalin (40% for- 

 maldehyd). 

 Peroxid of hydrogen, 



I :S 



1 : 10,000 to 

 1000 

 i: 1000 

 i: 200 



1% 

 i: 200 



70%— IS 

 minutes 



1 :6o 



1:300 



: 1000 

 i: 10 



Cone. 



i: 100 

 i: 100 



1:1500 



1:1500 

 Typhoid 



i: 700 

 1:300 (Gas 

 10 vol. %) 



1:30 



I :3oo 

 1:300 

 I : 1000 



i: 10,000 



I : 4000 



1:500 



1% 

 i: 1000 



70%— 10 

 minutes 



Cholera 

 i: 200 



Typh. 1:50 

 1:300 

 1 : 100 



i: 20 



1 : 200 to 300 



1:300 



I : 3000 

 i: 1000 

 1:500 



1 : 50 in 10 days 

 1 : 50 in 10 days 



Cone. sol. in- 

 complete disin- 

 fection. 



1 : 20 (5 days) 

 i: 2000(26 hrs.) 



i; 20 (i day) 

 i: 20 (i hr.) 



2% (in I hr.) 

 1:1000 (in 12 

 hours) 



Alcol. 50% for 4 

 months with- 

 out k i.ll i n g 

 spores (Kochf) 



I : 20 (4 to 45 

 days) (at 40° 



in 3 hours) 



(10% in 5 hrs.) 



i: 20 (in 6 hrs.) 



i: TOO (in i hr.) 

 3: 100 (in I hr.) 



much stir in the medical world imtil a year or more had passed and 

 a 40 per cent, solution of the gas, under the name of "Formalin," 



* "Compte rendu de I'Acad. des Sciences," Paris, 1892. 

 t Koch, Arb. a. d. kais. Gesundheitsamt, 1881, i. 



