Ii8        Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.     { *YenZry*fmm' 
of  the  formildehyde  gas,  the  articles  to  be  disinfected  being  placed  in 
the  chamber  before  the  vacuum  is  made,  so  that  they  will  also  be 
deprived  of  air.  The  remainder  of  the  tests  were  made  in  a  room 
in  the  laboratory  of  the  quarantine  department,  which  was  made 
expressly  for  the  purpose.  It  is  almost  perfectly  tight,  and  is  used 
as  a  standard  in  experimental  work. 
The  author  stated  in  conclusion  that  the  results  showed  that 
formaldehyde  cannot  be  depended  upon  for  disinfection  where  deep 
penetration  is  required.  It  can,  however,  be  depended  upon  to  pene- 
trate letters  and  other  thin  packages  if  placed  in  air-tight  chambers- 
The  importance  of  the  vacuum  deserves  special  mention,  for,  with 
all  the  other  conditions  the  same,  it  was  demonstrated  that  disinfec- 
tion took  place  in  the  vacuum  chamber,  whereas  without  the 
vacuum  the  germicidal  effect  was  not  produced.  Packages  of  the 
character  just  described  are  usually  penetrated  in  a  comparatively 
tight  room. 
In  packages  made  of  blankets,  clothing,  etc.,  the  action  of  formal- 
dehyde upon  infected  discs  placed  inside  is  uncertain  and  not  always 
the  same.  As  a  rule,  penetration  does  not  occur ;  at  least  the 
organisms  are  not  generally  killed.  This  uncertainty  would  seem 
to  decide  the  inefficiency  of  formaldehyde  for  deep  penetration. 
For  superficial  disinfection,  i,  e.,  of  hangings,  furniture,  clothing, 
furs,  silks,  and  other  articles,  which  can  be  spread  out  and  the 
surfaces  exposed,  formaldehyde  is  an  agent  of  undoubted  value, 
particularly  as  it  does  not,  as  a  rule,  injure  the  finest  fabrics,  and 
therefore  may  be  safely  used  in  an  apartment  furnished  with  delicate 
paper-hangings  and  furniture. 
In  considering  the  methods  proposed  for  disinfection,  the  writer 
said  that  the  use  of  a  formaldehyde  solution  simply  exposed  on  pans 
is  not  to  be  considered,  provided  other  methods  are  available.  The 
heating  of  pastilles  of  paraformaldehyde  is  a  simple  and  effective 
method  of  securing  the  gas,  although  a  comparatively  expensive 
one.  The  lamp  for  the  generation  of  formaldehyde  by  the  oxidation 
of  methyl  alcohol  is  also  an  effective  method.  However,  these 
methods  have  the  disadvantage  of  being  comparatively  slow.  In 
the  use  of  the  autoclave  and  the  apparatus  designed  by  the  author, 
the  formaldehyde  is  rapidly  released  and  conveyed  to  the  apartment 
to  be  treated  ;  and,  when  this  is  finished,  the  instrument,  which  is 
operated  from  the  outside,  can  be  removed.    In  this  way  the  mate- 
