364 
NOTE  ON  CARBOLIC  ACID,  ETC. 
to  take  tlie  place  of  ice,  and  of  all  modes  of  embalming.  It  is  said 
tha<  a  dead  body  enveloped  in  cloths,  kept  moistened  with  dilute 
solutions,  may  be  kept  well  preserved  and  in  a  natural  condition, 
without  hurtful  emanations,  for  any  reasonable  length  of  time, 
and  that  its  free  use  after  death  from  contagious  or  infectious 
diseases,  destroys  the  influence  of  the  diseases.  When  bodies 
are  to  be  preserved  for  some  time  the  solution  should  be  injected 
into  all  the  natural  openings,  and  may  be  introduced  into  the 
abdomen  and  thorax,  and  even  into  the  cranium,  by  means  of  a 
trocar  and  canula  without  mutilation.  Careful  injection  of  the 
blood  vessels  is,  however,  the  most  sure  and  effectual  process  for 
preservation. 
In  all  cases  of  infectious,  contagious  and  epidemic  diseases 
the  standard  solution,  either  entire  or  not  diluted  more  than  its 
volume,  should  be  freely  used  upon  the  bedding,  clothing  and 
utensils  of  the  sick  many  times  each  day,  by  sprinkling,  spong- 
ing, etc.  ;  and  the  exposed  parts  of  the  body,  and  those  soiled 
by  dejections,  ma^^  be  frequently  sponged  off  with  great  advan- 
tage. All  bedding,  clothing,  etc.,  removed  from  the  sick  and 
dying,  should  be  at  once  well  moistened  with  the  solution  and 
be  then  immersed  in  water ;  after  being  washed  and  ironed  it 
should  be  lightly  sprinkled  with  the  solution.  A  portion  of  the 
solution  should  be  put  into  close  stools,  urinals,  etc.,  immediate- 
ly after  these  have  been  cleansed,  to  remain  there  and  receive 
the  next  dejections.  The  disinfectant  thus  gets  immediate  action 
upon  the  infected  matters,  and  they  go  together  into  the  sewers 
under  the  best  sanitary  conditions.  Walls,  ceilings,  carpets, 
floors  and  furniture  of  infected  rooms  should  be  occasionally 
sprinkled  with  the  solution.  This  may  be  conveniently  done  by 
dipping  the  end  of  a  common  dust  brush  into  the  solution  poured 
out  into  a  soup  plate,  and  then  throwing  the  solution  off  the  brush 
in  a  kind  of  shower  upon  the  walls,  ceilings,  etc. 
It  is  not  only  in  contagious  and  infectious  diseases  that  the 
solution  is  useful,  but  wherever  deficient  ventilation,  or  want  of 
cleanliness,  or  offensive  discharges  corrupt  the  atmosphere  of 
apartments  used  either  by  the  sick  or  well.  Its  free  use  is  fatal 
to  all  the  small  vermin  which  infest  and  prey  upon  the  bodies  of 
