26 POULTRY DISEASES 



Hydrocyanic acid gas is extremely poisonous, 

 a single breath of it sometimes sufficing to kill a 

 man. It possesses the advantage of requiring but 

 a few minutes to effectively disinfect a building 

 and of killing all living organisms in it, bacteria, 

 molds, parasites and even roaches and other ver- 

 min, and rodents. It will also destroy the eggs of 

 parasites. It is extremely dangerous, however, 

 except in professional hands, and its itse must not 

 be attempted by the poultryman. 



Excluding hydrocyanic acid on account of the 

 hazard attending its use, formaldehyde is the 

 gaseous disinfectant of choice. It may be secured 

 in a forty per cent watery solution known as for- 

 malin, from which the gas may be readily gen- 

 erated. 



After hermetically sealing all openings into the 

 building except one door, place in an earthen or 

 metal vessel two quarts of formalin for each 1,000 

 cubic feet of space in the building, place this 

 vessel in a much larger one and set on the floor, 

 then empty into the formalin one-half pound of 

 potassium permanganate for each quart of forma- 

 lin and retreat from the building at once and close 

 the door. 



The temperature of the room, during the dis- 

 infection, should be above 50 deg. F., and the more 

 it is above this temperature, the better. Moisture 

 in the air is an aid in this sort of disinfection; 

 it may be secured by sprinkling the floor just be- 

 fore starting the generation of the gas. The build- 

 ing should be kept closed six to twenty-four hours. 

 It must- be thoroughly aired before the fowls are 

 permitted to reenter it. 



Such disinfection may not destroy rats and 

 mice, or the larger parasites and their eggs. 



