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were able to get through the pores of the skin. Natives walking about 

 with bare feet were most likely to pick them up. For years on 

 plantations what was called coolie itch was seen and treated and no 

 one knew that it was in any way connected with ankylostomiasis. 

 Increased cleanliness in the habits of the coolies v/ould do much to 

 prevent the spread of the disease. 



The cause and means of spreading of beri-beri, which was so 

 often fatal, were still rather mysterious. The idea now was that the 

 disease was a nutritional one and depended on the removal of some 

 substance by over-milling the rice, possibly some Phosphorus com- 

 pound. In some instances it was apparently spread amongst coolies 

 by the introduction of an actual case. Par-boiled rice had some good 

 curative effect when given to those suffering from the disease, coolies 

 should be medically examined before going to work, suspicious cases 

 excluded, lines should be put in as sanitary a condition as possible 

 and coolies should have a sufficiently varied and generous diet — not 

 too much rice, and other things in the way of dried fish and veget- 

 ables. Cases should be promptly isolated and bunks should be 

 disinfected as if the case were infectious. 



Dealing with epidemics, the lecturer explained that cholera could 

 only be introduced by the mouth. One could go into a cholera room 

 and breathe the same air as a patient without infection. It was there- 

 fore highly important to ensure that both food and water supply were 

 free from suspicion. If they got a suspicious case of a man vomit- 

 ting and suffering from diarrhoea, isolate him and properly disinfect 

 his place at once. As a rule smallpox did not spread very rapidly 

 or widely and if they had their coolies lately and safely vaccinated 

 they need not fear about the introduction of smallpox. The lecture 

 concluded with some remarks about the nature and practical require- 

 ments of a good disinfectant. It should be readily capable of killing 

 germs. It should be sufficiently cheap to l^e used ungrudgingly in 

 large quantities, and it should if possible be non-poisonous. 



-Many metallic salts and mineral acids might fulfil the first 

 condition, but seldom the second, and never the last. 



Perhaps the most widely useful disinfectant was Formalin, which 

 was a solution of Formal dehyde gas in water. This could be used 

 to disinfect valuable articles such as oil paintings or fabrics such 

 as silks, etc., which could not be disinfected by any other known dis- 

 infectant. It had a further advantage in that it could readily and 

 simply be used both as a liquid and as a gaseous disinfectant — for the 

 gas was given off by simply boiling the liquid or by throwing some 

 Potassium permanganate into it, or by letting the liquid drop slowly 

 on to quick-lime. 



The coal-tar disinfectants whose name was legion were mostly 

 of one type — a mixture of Cresol with a liquid soap. Jeye's Fluid was 

 an example. They all formed a milky white emulsion when mixed 

 with water. Their emulsion was spoilt, however, when they came 



