28 
BACTERIOLOGY. 
dering the room free from infection is a thorough 
scrubbing of everything washable with soap and hot 
water, a continued exposure of the room to fresh air 
and sunlight, and the burning of everything that can¬ 
not be washed or is of small value. The effect of the 
scrubbing is increased if followed by a solution of car¬ 
bolic acid or bichloride solution. If arrangements 
cannot be made to have the mattress sterilized by 
steam under pressure it is safer to burn it. 
If the disinfection of the apartments by gas, 
either formaldehyde or sulphur, is to be employed, it 
should follow the cleansing of the room after the 
manner described above. The room must first of all 
be sealed to prevent the gas from escaping. This can 
be done by plugging with cotton all crevices about the 
windows and doors, and pasting paper over radiators 
and ventilators. 
Not much dependence should be placed on gas 
disinfection alone. It should be clearly understood 
that a thorough application of soap and water and free 
exposure to fresh air and sunlight are much to be 
preferred to the simple introduction of formalin gas 
or any other disinfectant without due regard to the 
proper disposition of the room contents, temperature, 
time of exposure, and the quantity of the disinfectant 
used. The careless use of gas disinfection and the 
popular belief that filling a room with gas kills all con¬ 
tagion have led to disastrous consequences, and are 
responsible for the disrepute into which disinfection 
has fallen in some quarters. 
