234 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



should be carefully cleaned as above detailed, and any fodder 

 which may have been stored where it was exposed should be 

 destroyed. 



Chemical disinfectants are efficient for thorough work. Most 

 of these are poisonous and must be handled with great care. 

 The cost is an important consideration in the selection of dis- 

 infectants for cheap buildings. The following are comparatively 

 inexpensive: Bichloride of mercury or corrosive sublimate, in 

 the proportion of i part to i,ooo of water, or i ounce to 8 gal- 

 lons of water, is an effective a^ent. The poison should first be 

 dissolved in a small amount of hot water and then diluted; it 

 may be applied with a brush or as a spray. One pound of 

 chloride of lime to 3 gallons of water is another effective disin- 

 fectant. Carbolic acid is well known; it should be used in the 

 proportion of i part to 20 of water. 



Sometimes it is best to use a gas as a germicide. In this 

 case no animal nor person can remain in the inclosure being dis- 

 infected. It must be tightly closed so there will be no leaks 

 through cracks or other openings. When sulphur is burned the 

 building is soon filled with fumes. A considerable quantity 

 should be supplied and fresh air excluded for twenty-four hours, 

 to give full time for the gas to penetrate into every place where 

 germs may be lodged. Chlorine gas is a more powerful disin- 

 fectant. It is generated by chloride of lime and muriatic acid. 

 The fumes are very deadly, and great care must be taken not to 

 inhale it. Formaldehyde is an efficient germicide which has 

 recently come into use; it is a gas generated by special ap- 

 paratus; it may also be applied in a solution. 



One of the best and cheapest disinfectants for floors, gutters,, 

 waste pipes, etc., is sulphate of iron (copperas). For a floor, 

 as much of this should be dissolved as water will hold; it is then 

 applied with a sprinkler. Lumps of dry copperas are useful for 

 purifying drains. 



After a stable has been disinfected it should be allowed to 

 remain empty several days for thorough airing. 



