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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 would 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 be 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 
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