CHAPTER XII. 

 DISINFECTION AND DISINFECTANTS. 



Methods of disinfection of the body, discharges, clothes, home, hangings, 

 bed-hnen, etc. — Disinfection by sulphur and chlorine — Disinfection 

 by formalin vapour — Equifex spray disinfection — Disinfection by 

 heat — Disinfection by steam — Steam disinfectors — The construction 

 of steam disinfectors — Lyon's disinfector — Equifex disinfeotor — 

 Equifex low pressure disinfector — Thresh's disinfector— Beck's disin- 

 feotor — Testing of steam disinfectors — Disinfectants — Bacteriological 

 testing of disinfectants. 



With regard to diseases generally, the measures taken to 

 prevent spread of disease may be divided into two classes : 



1. (a) Vaccination ; (6) Quarantine ; (c) Notification and 

 isolation. 



2. Disinfection of the person, clothes, home, and dis- 

 charges of the patient. 



The general preventive measures to the spread of disease 

 have already been dealt with. The considerations involved 

 in practical disinfection are of the greatest practical im- 

 portance, and will be considered in detail. 



By far the greater number of pathogenic organisms given 

 off ultimately from any case are destroyed by what we may 

 term ' natural disinfection '; for example, by the action 

 of light and air, or by meeting with conditions of soil and 

 temperature unfavourable to their growth ; or, again, they 

 may be crowded out by saprophytic bacteria that are more 

 capable of life under the existing conditions. Again, a 



