DISINFECTANTS  IN  ARRESTING  CATTLE  PLAGUE. 
227 
in  which  a  small  fish  was  swimming.  It  proved  fatal  in  a  few 
minutes. 
XXII.  A  very  minute  quantity  of  a  weak  solution  of  carbolic 
acid  was  added,  under  the  microscope,  to  water  containing  various 
ii.fusoria,  such  as  bacteria,  vibrios,  spirilla,  amoebsea,  monads, 
euglenaea,  paramecia,  rotifera,  and  vorticellae.  The  acid  proved 
instantly  fatal,  arresting  the  movements  of  the  animalcules  at 
once. 
These  animalcules  are  the  almost  invariable  accompaniments 
of  putrefactive  fermentation.  The  above  experiment  has  been 
tried  with  putrid  blood,  sour  paste  and  decayed  cheese,  and  in 
every  instance  the  destruction  of  vitality  and  the  arrest  of  putre- 
faction have  been  simultaneous. 
XXIII.  Caterpillars,  beetles,  crickets,  fleas,  moths  and  gnats 
were  covered  with  a  glass,  the  inside  of  which  was  smeared  with 
carbolic  acid.  The  vapor  proved  quickly  fatal.  It  allays  the 
pain  caused  by  the  stings  of  bees,  wasps,  hornets,  and  gnats,  if 
applied  pure,  or  in  strong  solution,  to  the  wounded  part. 
I  find  it  recorded  by  Dr.  Lemaire  and  other  observers  that 
carbolic  acid  vapor  will  also  kill  flies,  ants  and  their  eggs,  lice, 
bugs,  ticks,  acari.  musquitos,  aphides,  butterflies,  earwigs,  wood- 
lice,  cockchafers,  centipedes,  and  other  insects  of  this  size ;  its 
vapor,  however,  does  not  appear  to  be  strong  enough  to  act  in- 
juriously on  animals  larger  than  mice.  When  such  animals  are 
killed  with  it,  their  bodies  dry  up  in  the  air,  and  resist  putre- 
faction for  some  time. 
40.  From  the  intense  aversion  shown  by  all  insects  to  the 
odor  of  carbolic  acid,  it  is  probable  that  the  plentiful  use  of  this 
agent  would  effectually  preserve  cattle  from  those  terrible 
scourges  met  with  in  certain  parts  of  Africa,  the  zimb  and  tsetse 
fly.  The  effects  following  the  bite  of  the  latter  have  been  de- 
scribed to  me  as  being  almost  identical  with  the  symptoms  of 
cattle  plague. 
M.  Lucien  Baird,  in  speaking  of  the  invasions  of  the  large 
ants  of  Mexico,  says  that  when  one  of  their  battalions  threatens 
his  house,  he  sprinkles  a  little  carbolic  acid  in  front  of  it.  The 
army  immediately  makes  a  detour  to  avoid  the  obstacle. 
When  an  animal  is  killed  by  the  injection  of  a  saturated 
