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1886.| Physiology. 303 
poison objection has been made toits use that when thrown into 
vaults it might soak through the earth and contaminate the drink- 
ing water in wells or cisterns; Dr. Vaughan, however, has shown 
that when solutions of mercuric chloride are filtered through 
various kinds of soil, the filtrate contains no trace of mercury ; 
the bichloride having probably been decomposed in the earth, 
the mercury forming insoluble salts with carbonates and phos- 
phates with which it has come intocontact. Its destructive action 
on lead pipes presents one important objection to the domestic 
organisms, The conclusions arrived at by the committee are of 
so great practical importance and are so concisely stated that 
they will be stated here nearly în extenso. 
_ The most useful agents for the destruction of spore-containing 
infectious material are: 1. Five. Complete destruction by burn- 
ing. 2.-Steam under pressure. 110° C. (230° Fahr.) for ten min- 
utes. 3. Botling in water for one hour. 4. Chloride of lime. 1to4 
per cent solution. 5. Mercuric chloride. A solution of I : 500. 
For the destruction of infectious material which owes its infecting 
power to micro-organisms wot containing spores, the committee 
recommends: 1. five. Complete destruction by burning. 2. 
Solution of chlorinated soda. 5 to 20 per cent solution. 6. Mer- 
curte ‘chloride, A solution of 1: 1000 to 1:4000. 7. Sulphur 
toxide. Expose for twelve hours to an atmosphere containing at 
least'4 volumes per cent of this gas, preferably in presence of mois- 
ture (this requires the combustion of 3 to 4 ibs. sulphur for every 
1000 cubic feet of air space). 8. Carbolic acid, 2 to 5 per cent 
solution. 9. Sulphate of copper, 2 to 5 per cent solution, 10, 
Chlor tde of zinc, 4 to 10 per cent solution. 2 
committee would make the following recommendations 
e 
with reference to the practical application of these agents for dis- 
infecting purposes : 
For excreta. —(a) In the sick room: For spore-containing 
Material. 1. Chloride of lime in solution, 4 per cent. 2. Mer- 
curic chloride in solution, 1 : 500 (the addition of an equal quan- 
pits potassium permanganate as a deodorant and to give color to _ 
5 Per cent. 5. Chloride of zinc in solution, 10 per cent. (4) In ee 
Privy vaults; mercuric chloride in solution, 1 : 500. Chloride of 
lime in powder (it is well to dilute by mixing with plaster of paris _ 
san a 
For clothing, bedding, etc—(a) Soiled underclothing, bed linen, 
CH: Ke te bas Ge 
: least half an hour, 3. Immersion in solution of mercuric chloride r 
