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Resume of the Latest and Best Information on the Household Use of Disinfectants, Deodorants, and Antiseptics, and of Practical Precautions Preventive of Cholera, Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever, and other Infectious Diseases. Prepired for Popular Peraul BY B. W. PALMER. A.M., M.D. Price lO Cents. The Monteeal News Co. KOMTBEAL. Thb Toronto Newi Co. TORONTO. 1886. PREFACE. Perhaps no fact is more firmly established in the popular mmd than that conveyed by the time-worn adage « an ounce of pre- venfo. is worth a pound of cure," and yet how few there are who reall, appreciate its significance when applied to the prevention of cl.s.ase, until they are face to face with the dangers of an epidemic such as cholera, or perhaps menaced by the more immediate peril of mfectious disease in their own home circle. At no previous period in the world's history has there been concentrated on the Pmention of disease so much careful study and pamstaking investigation as at the present time, and the results are apparent in the increased knowledge we now have as to the best methods of preventing the development of infectious diseases, or, when once originated, of reducing the possibility of their further spread to a minimum. To briefly present the most approved agents for the preven- tion of infectious diseases, point out the necessity for their use and explain their application so that any one of ordinary intel- ligence may be able to efficiently use them in the household, i& the object ohhis little brochure. INDEX. PAUK. American Public Health Association's Report on Disinfect- ants 9 Antiseptics, Comparative Value of 8 Antiseptic, Definition of 8 Antiseptics, Utility of 22 Bedding, Disinfection of 17 Body, Disinfection of the 16 Cholera, Needlessness of Fear of 23 Clothing, Disinfection of 17 Contagious Diseases, Isolation After Exposure to 26 Copperas, Disinfecting Power of 10 Corrosive Sublimate, Value of as a Disinfectant 12 Deodorant, Definition of 8 Deodorants, Utility of 92 Disease Germs, Destruction of 20 Disinfection of Bedding 17 Cess-pools 20 Clothing ... 17 Disinfectant, Definition of 7 Disinfection of Drink 21 Excreta 16 Food 21 Futility of as Often Employed 21 Disinfectants, Gaseous 12 Disinfection, General Directions Regarding 15 by Dry Heat 17 Moist Heat 17 oflngesta.. 21 Disinfection, Misapprehension of • • •• 7 Object of 9 T fAOE. Disinfection of the Person l6 Popular Meaning of 7 Disinfection of Privy Vaults / 20 Disinfectants, the Most Valuable 12 Disinfection, of the Sick-Room 18 Disinfectants, Use of in the Sick-Room 18 When and Where to Use 15 Drink, Disinfection of 21 Excreta, Disinfection of 16 Filth, Disposal of 23 Food, Disinfection of 21 Fear as a Factor in Inducing Disease .■ 24 Fumigation by Sulphurous Acid Gas 20 Germs, Sterilization of 22 Germ Theory .' 6 Infectious Diseases, Causation of « « How to Keep From Schools 25 « " Propagation of. 14 Ingesta, Disinfection of 21 Isolation After Exposure to Contagious Diseases 26 Person, Disinfection of 16 Potassium Permanganate, Deodorizing Power of 12 Preventable Diseases 7 P^-oprietary Disinfectants, Usefulj r > of 21 Putrefaction, Arrest of. i ' Sanitation, Basis of. '4 Sanitary Surroundings, Improvement of 7 Sick-Room, Disinfection of. *8 Steam as a Disinfectant i? Sulphur ous Acid Gas, x- uni jgation by • •...•.•• 19 #t THE OEBM THBOBT. I. raay not !«, u„mtere,.i„g before prey^ulmg ,he fa^ts we o. the one,,, »n.l propagation of i„fec,i„„, Hiseases now wij-lv accepted as the .„« .enable, vi... tbeGern, Theory, 11" h,' fernis '""'""""'ionaleofiu prevention by di™. den Jl"^ °""'. ■""■■'"■)' »f'l'»cMe assumes that infectious diseases ^erend for ,h..„ existence and power of infection on the devXp n>ent of m,cr„-o,ea„,sms (,„ic,ol«s of l-asteur), variottslv eaS "..crococc, bacilli, bacteria, spores, etc., the I fe anTl'w.h ^f all ,Ir^ ■ " " " •■'•■' '*'." »'^i="""'='-'"y demonstrated ,h., all .nfec„o„s ,l,seases are caused by the invasion of the bodv of the s,ck person by living germs, it has teen prove.1 into „1 v e^ses of this class that it is highly probable'tTtrue f:: a" ' "" appaient, and these are to be secured by thorough ventilation of .he rooms we live in, careful exclusion of our (L from ^ sources of contamination, and improvement of „„r sT^arv MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO PERFECT THE SANITARY SURHOinVDmOS OF OUR HOMES. rilllE methods of guarding against preventable diseases in the •*■ household are substantially those which public health asso- ciations adopt (o: the protection of the state. They are, in brief, general sanitation, by which is meant municipal and personal cleanliness, and disinfection. Under general sanitation we may class all measures which have for their object the destruction of filth and all decomposing organic material, by which the development or growth of disease germs might be favoretl. If not practicable to destroy material of this kind it should at least Ijc removed to a safe distance from the house . and treated with disinfectants and antiseptics. That pure air, pure food, and good hygiene are essential to the maintenance of health are facts that need scarcely be alluded to here. The vital question we have to deal with is Aow shall dis- €ase germs, once they have been developed, be killed ? It is in the accomplishment of this purpose that the beneficent action of disinfectants is made apparent. WHAT IS A DISINFECTANT? Not a little confusion exists in the popular mind, and indeed not a little has existed until the past .three or four years in the minds of physicians and even sanitarians, as to what really consti- tuted a disinfectant. Many look upon the terms disinfectant, deodorant, and anti- septic as synonymous, while, as a matter of fact, their meaning is widely different, and the recognition of this difference is essential to the proper and safe employment of these three kinds of agents, which each have their role to play in combating the army of germs that, unseen, cscept by their dire enfecis, are constantly waging war against. the forces of health. ' — 8 -^ The Committee on Disinfectants of the American Public Health Association, whose recent experiments have done much to dispel popular Illusions regarding the nature and utility of the various agents of this class, define a disinfectant to be a« agent eatable of destroying the infective power of infectious material. kiUer'^^"'* ^^^ ^^^ disinfectant signifies a germicide, a germ- Popularly, the destruction of bad odors or the arrest of putre- faction IS wrongly supposed to constitute disinfection, and any agent which neutralizes or disguises the odors arising from putrefying material is regarded as a disinfectant. DEFINITION OF DEODORANT. In reality, however, ^ents which simply mask unpleasant odors should properly be called deodorants or deodorizers, and while they serve an admirable purpose, their purpose is not the destruction of disease germs^ DEFINITION OF ANTISEPTIC. So, also, agents which have the power to an est the process of putrefaction, although their value in the economy of health and the prevention of disease is unquestioned, are properly termed antiseptics, and should not be regarded as disinfectants. Dr. Geo. M. Sternberg, who has lately published some inter- estmg articles on this subject embodying practical deductions drawn from recent experimeirts, very pertinently states in this con. nection that «a disinfectant may be both a deodorant and anti- septic, but it is not for this reason a disinfectant, but because of its ability to neutralize the infecting power of infectious material. Such material Is given off from the bodies of patients suffering from small-pox or scarlet fever j it is contained in the alvine discharges of typhoid fever and cholera patients j it is present in the sputa of those suffering from tuberculosis, diphtheria, etc .. " h ^ I BESXTME OP BESULTS OP RECENT BE- 8EARCHES OP THE COMMITTEE ON DISINPECTANTS OP THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION. rpHE following extract from a report of the Committee on Dis- J- infectants of the American Public Health Association, clear- ly conveys the distinction between disinfectants, deodorants and antiseptics. It is an exposition of what v. lay term the latest sanitary gospel, and abounds in practical suggestions, the value of which at the present time, in view of the possible invasion of this country by cholera in the near future, can not be over-estimated. OBJECT OF DISINFECTION. The object of disinfection is to prevent the extension of infectious diseases by destroying the specific infectious material which gives rise to them. This is accomplished by the use of disinfectants. There can be no partial disinfection of such material ; either its infecting power is destroyed or it is not. In the latter case there is a failure to disinfect. Nor can there be any disinfection in the absence of infectious material. It has been proved for several kinds of infectious material that its specific infecting power is due to the presence of living micro-organisms, known in a general way as ' disease germs ; ' and practical sanitation is now based upon the belief that the in- fecting agents in all kinds^ of infectious material are of this nature. Disinfection, therefore, consists essentially in the destruction of disease germs. lo Popularly, the term disinfection is used in a much broader sense. Any chemical agent which destroys or masks bad odors, or which arrests putrefactive decomposition, is spoken of as a dis- infectant. And in the absence of any infectious disease it is com- mon to speak of disinfecting a foul cess-pool, or bad-smelling stable, or privy vault. This popular use of the term has led to much misapprehen- sion, and the agents which have been found to destroy bad odors — deodorizers — or to arrest putrefactive decomposition — antiseptics — have been confidently recommended and extensively used for the destruction of disease germs in the excreta of patients with cholera, typhoid fever, etc. \ The injurious consequences which are likely to result from such misapprehension and misuse of the word disinfectant will be appreciated when it is known that recent researches have demon- strated that many of the agents which have been found useful as deodorizers, or as antiseptics, are entirely without value for •the destruction of disease germs. This is true, for example, as regards the sulphate of iron or copperas, a salt which has been extensively used with the idea that it is a valuable disinfectant. As a matter of fact, sulphate of iron in saturated solution does not destroy the vitality of disease germs, or the infecting power of material containing them. This salt is, nevertheless, a very valuable antiseptic, and its low price makes it -one of the most available agents for the arrest of putrefactive de- composition in privy-vaults, etc Antiseptic agents also exercise a restraining influence upon the development of disease germs, and their use during epideuacs is to be recommended, when masses of organic material in the vicinity of human habitations cannot be completely destroyed, or removed, or disinfected. >^ s I — II — While an antiseptic agent is not necessarily a disinfectant, all disinfectants are antiseptics ; for putrefactive decomposition is due to thedevelopmentof a 'germ 'of the same class as that to which disease germs belong, and the agents which destroy the latter also destroy the bacteria of putrefaction, when brought in contact with them in sufficient quantity, or restrain their development when present in smaller amounts. A large number of the proprietary 'disinfectants,' so-called which are in the market, are simply deodorizers or antiseptics, of greater or less value, and are entirely untrustworthy for disinfect- ing purposes. Antiseptics are to be used at all times when it is impractica- ble to remove filth from the vicinity of human habitations, but they are a poor substitute for cleanliness. During the prevalence of epidemic diseases, .such as yellow fever, typhoid fever, and cholera, it is better to i se, in privv vaults, cess-pools, etc., those antiseptics which are also disinfect ants-,, e., germicides ; and when the contents of such receptacles are known to be infected this becomes imperative. Still more important is the destruction at our seaport quaran- tine stations of infectious material which had its origin outside of the boundaries of the country, and the destruction, within our boundaries, of infectious material given off from the persons of those attacked with any infectious disease, whether imported or of indigenous origin. In the sick-room we have disease germs at an advantage for we know where to find them as well as how to kill them. Having this knowledge, not to apply it would be' criminal negligence, for our efibrts to restrict the extension of infection, diseases must depend largely upon the proper use of disinfectants m the sicjc-room." — 13 — WHAT DI8INPECTANTS ARE OP THE MOST VALUE? * npHAT depends on the immediate object to be accomplished. -■- Recent experiments have shown that among the most effi- cient of all true disinfectants, we must rank corrosive sublimate. But this is poisonous ^ the higher animals, and cannot, therefore* have universal application. For disinfecting excrementitious pro- ducts, it must be considered the best agent, we have, and it can be employed also in treating articles of clothing, etc., which should also be boiled before they are again used. Potassium permangan. ate, which is far less poisonous, is useful, especially from its deod- orizing power. These may be combined for use in the srck room. While these various substances can be employed in the form of a spray, and thus diffused through an apartment, they should be re- placed in many cases by gaseous agents, which can more readily pursue the disease germs floating in the air. Of gaseous disinfec- tants, we may choose between sulphurous acid, chlorine, and bromine, and to this list may be added also iodine. Theresults of recent researches prove that, of the agents available from their cheapness as disinfectants, corrosive sublimate, permanganate of potassium, chlorine, bromine, and perhaps the chloride of zinc, are the onl ones having sufficient germicidal power to be worthjr of consideration. The following table from Miquel {Bied. Centr.) shows the comparative value of a few of the most important ant'i- septics. The figures give the amount of the compound which was required to preserve looo c. c. of beef tea: GRMS. Mercuric iodide ^^-- • •••• 0.025 Silver iodide ^ ..... 0.03 Hydrogen peroxide , ^ p- ^ ! o-"r" "3 ■« roi. A, a. i^yons, M.D. « ± — 13 — _, GRMS. Mercuric chloride (corrosive sublimate) 0.07 Silver nitrate ^ ••.. 0.01 Osmic acid. .. ... ..,,, Chromic acid *^ Iodine „., . 0.2c Chlorine (gaseous) ^^ Hydrocyanic acid ,..'...; * Bromine • • • • • • Chloroform * « Copper sulphate ...,/...... 0.90 Salicylic acid xtenzoic acid Potas. chromate Picric acid Lead chloride ^ Mineral acids -„^» _. . • 2.00-3.00 Essence bitter almonds "1 -_ Phenol 3'^ Potas. permanganate Aniline Alum ''*'*''**;:;';";;!;;::;;;:;; ^'Z Tannin ^ ^ ^ ^ ' " *^ Arsenious acid ' g Boracic acid Chloral hydrate !''*.* ^_ Ferrous sulphate (copperas) ,, ^^ Amyl alcohfl \ ''" * ' * * ** "^ Ethyl sulphide „' „ "^ 22.00 Borax Ethylalcohol "" !?*!? Potas, thiocyanate f'sulphocyanide) 120.00 — 14 — GUIS. Potas. iodide ,^oo^ Potas.cyanide ,y^ ^^^ Sodium thiosulphate (hyposulphite) 275.00 PHINCIPIiES TO BE REGARDED IN THE USE OF ANTISEPTICS AND DISINITECTANTS. I. We may seek to prevent the disease geims from finding lodgment where they can multiply or long retain life. Tc this end, houses, and especially hospitals and pest-houses, roust be thoroughly ventilated. Scatter these germs where there is plenty of light and air, and they become harmless ; in damp, dark spots they retain their vitality a long time, but sunlight, thorough desic- cation, and the oxidizing action of the air, will speedily destroy them. There must be no neglected places about our cellars or basements where they can hide themselves and thrive and multiply. Every part of the house, and, most of all, the drains, privy vaults, etc., whose function is to aid us in disposing of refuse material, must be kept scrupulously clean. In the instructions issued by the American National Board of Health, tht-se points are emphasized and reiterated : " Disinfection cannot compen ite for want of cleatiliness nor of ventilation:' The most available agents in com- bating infectious diseases are fresh air and cleanliness." 2. Wc may endeavor to prevent the propagation of these germs by sterilizing the soil on which they fall. Accumulations of refuse matter cannot be altogether avoided, but we can, by the free use of antiseptics, keep them in such a condition that spores Will not readily germinate in them It is well-known that decom- posi.jg organic matter affords the most favorable possible soil for the growth of the lower forms of vegetable and animal organ- fi \ti — IS — isms. While foul odors are not, in themselves, an evidence of the presence of contagion, they warn us that there is danger, and we shall do well to heed the warning. 3. We may attack the germs themselves, and endeavor to lower or destroy thei; vitality. This is what we seek to accom- plish by the use oi disinfectants ; but the germs are organisms of a very low grade of life, and are therefore not easy to kill. The study of the various disinfectants, with especial reference to their relative value in different diseases,or under different circumstances, therefore becomes an important one. So, also, is it essential to- know the best means and modes of using them. WHEN AND WHERE DISINFECTANTS SHOULD liE USED. We must not expect that the use of a little chlorinated lime or carbolic acid will have a magic influence to ward off danger. For the complete disinfection of an apartment in which there has been a case of infectious disease, it is -necessary to fill the room completely with an atmosphere of sulphurous acid, chlorine, bromine, or hyponitric acid, and keep it several hours shut up, until every crevice is thoroughly penetrated and perme- ated with the disinfectant. But this thorough use of disinfect- ants IS only admissible for the prevention of contagion after the recovery or death of the patient. aENERAL DIBECTIONS REQARDma DISIN- PBCnON. J^N the report of the .imittee on Disinfectants of the American Public Health Association, previously alluded to, appear the following general directions regarding- disinfection : — i6 — DISINFECTION OF EXCRETA, ETC. The infectious character of the dejections of patients suffer- ing from cholera and from typhoid fever is well established ; and this is true of mild cases and of the earliest stages of these diseases as well as of severe and fatal cases. It is probable that epidemic dysentery, tuberculosis, and perhaps diphtheria, yellow fever, scarlet fever, and typhus fever may also be transmitted by means of the alvine discharges of the sick. It is therefore of the first importance that these should be disinfected. In cholera, diphtheria, yellow fever, and scarlet fever, all vomited material should also be looked upon as infectious. And in tuberculosis diphtheria, scarlet fever, and infectious pneumonia, the sputa of the sick .should be disinfected. It seems advisable also to treat the urine of patients sick with an infectious disease with a disin- fecting solution. DISINFECTION OF THE PERSON. The surface of the body of a sick person, or of his attendants, when soiled with infectious discharges, should be at once cleansed with a suitable disinfecting agent. For this purpose "Labar- raque's Solution," * diluted with five times its volume of water, may be used. After carefully washing soiled surfaces with this solu- tion, the disinfectant itself is to be washed away with a towel wet with water or with diluted alcohol, one part to ten. The surface of the dead may be disinfected by the use of the same solution, and cloths wet with this solution should be placed over orifices from which infectious material is likely to escape. In diseases like small pox and scarlet fever, in which the infectious agent is given off from the entire surface of the body occasional ablutions with I^abarraque's Solution diluted with twenty parts of water will be required. * A solution of Chlorinated Soda. .^ .► - 17- In ail infectious diseases the surface of the body of the dead should be thoroughly washed with a suitable solution and then enveloped in a sheet saturated with the same. DISINFECTION OF CLOTHING. Boiling for half an hour will destroy the vitality of all known disease germs, and there is no better way of disinfecting clothing and bedding which can be washed than to put it through the ordi- nary operations of the laundry. No delay should occur, however, between the time of removing soiled clothing from the person or bed of the sick and its immersion into boiling water. If circum- stances make it impracticable to do this at once, clothing should be immersed in a suitable disinfecting fluid. The articles to be disinfected must be thoroughly soaked with the disinfecting solution, and left in at least two hours, aiter which they may be wrung out and sent to the wash. Clothing and bedding which cannot be washed may be disin- fected by exposure to dry heat in a properly constructed disin- fecting chamber for three or four hours. A temperature of 230 F. should be maintained during this time, and the clothing must be freely exposed — i. e., not folded or arranged in piles or bundles, for the penetrating power of dry heat is very slight. The temperature above mentioned will not destroy the spons of bacilli — e. g.^ of the anthrax bacillus, but is effective for the destruction of all disease germs which do not form spores ; and there is good reason to believe that this list includes smaUpox, cholera, yellow fever, diphtheria, erysipelas, puerperal fever, and scarlet fever (?) Moist heat is more effective, and it is demon- strated that ten minutes' exposure to steam, at a temperature of 230 F» will destroy all ksows disease "enns. incb'din" *hs nios refractory spores. ^^r - i8 - In the absence of a suitable disinfecting chamber it will be necessary to burn infected clothing and bedding, the value of which would be destroyed by immersion in boiling water, or in a suitable disinfecting solution. DISINFECTION OF THE SICK ROOM. In the sick-room no disinfectant can take the place of free vent.lat.on and cleanliness. It is an axiom in sanitary science that ;/ 7s impracticable to disinfect an occupied apartment ; for the reason that disease germs are not destroyed by the presence in the atmosphere of any known disinfectant in respirable quantity Bad odors may be neutralized, but this does not constitute disinfection m the sense in which the term is here used. These bad odors are for the most part, an indication of want of cleanliness, or of proper venflation ; and it is better to turn contaminated air out of the window, or up the chimney, than to attempt to purify it bv the use of volatile chemical agents, such as carbolic acid, chlorine etc., which are all more or less offensive to the sick, and are use' less so far as disinfection-properly so-called-is concerned. When an apartment which has been occupied by a person sick wUhan infectious disease is vacated, it should be disinfected But It IS hardly worth while to attempt to disinfect the atmosphere of such an apartment, for this will escape through an open window •nd be replaced by fresh air from without, while preparations are being made to disinfect it. Moreover, experience shows that the infecting power of sucji an atmosphere is quickly lost by dilution or by the destruction of floating disease germs through contacl with oxygen, and that even small-pox and scarlet fever are not transmitted to any great distance through the atmosphere • whUe cholera, typhoid fever, and yellow fever are rarely, if ever con twcted by contact with the sick, or by respiring the atmosphere of the ap»i:tments occupied by them. 19 — „ < ' The object of disinfection in the sick-room IS, mainly, the snUilr r ""'""'"^ "■' '""- P'OPO"!"" of corrosive cation of the d,s,nfc<:.mg solution, and an inleml of twentv-fonr Sn,» j^t^ '^. second more prolonged exposure to fresh air admitted through open doors and windows. '»■'■«'' «r. Many sanitary authorities consider it necessary to insist uoon sulphnr-for the disinfection of the sick-room. As an additiona precaution this is to he ^commended, especially for r^ms whiA wa^hing^L sur^ci;- zt 't!::',::^'^::^!-^;:: ^ZVZT "'"f"""' «id gas alone, as cZonty practis«l cannot be relicl upon for the disinfection of the siclt- room and Its contents, including bedding, furnitu,., M^g .lothing, etc.. a.i4 popularly believed. And . misniacj^' fiuc.,„,„,h,s ".Ode of disinfection is likely to le«l toa™,g).ct''„V — ao — the more in,,yoffint measures which have bee» recommended. In the absence of utoiiMure the disinfecting power f sulphurous acid gas is very limiteu, and under no circumstances can it be relied upon for the destruction of spores. But exposure to this agent in sufficient quantity, and for a considerable time, especially in the presence of moisture, is destructive of disease germs, in the absence of spores. It is essential, however, that the germs to be destroyed shall be very freely exposed to the disinfecting agent, which has but slight penetrating power. To secure any results of value it will be necessary to close the apartment to be disinfected as completely as possible by stopping all apertures through which the gas might escape, and to burn not Uss than three pounds of sulphur for each thousand cubic feet of air- space in the room.* To secure complete combustion of the sulphur It sbj d be placed, in powder oV in small fragments, in a shallow iron pan, which should be set upon a couple of bricks in a tub partly filled with water, to guard against fire. The sulphur should be thoroughly moistened with alcohol before igniting it. DISINFECTION OF PRIVY-VAULTS, CESS-POOLS, ETC. When the excreta— not previously disinfected— of patients with cholera or typhoid fever, have been thrown into a privy-yault this is infected, and disinfection should be resorted to as soon as the fact is discovei d, or whenever there is reasonable suspicion that such is the case. Disinfection may be accomplished either with corrosive sublimate, or with chloride of lime. The amount used must be proportioned to the amount of material to be disin- fected. •One litre of sulphur dioxide weighs 2.9 grammes. To obtain ten litres •f gas it is necessary to bum r.«mpletely fifteen grammes of" flowers of sul- phur •• (Valin). . . — 21 — l/se one p.und of cotrosive sublimate for rvery Jh^e hundred Pounds^^.Ur..i.^_,f f^cal ...tier contauid inike Zuli oTo„e pound of chloride of lime to every thirty pounds it .\.^!lT'f P^':*;^"^^^ 'he vault, .and the wood-work above .t 3hcu.d be thoroughly washe.i down with a disinfecting solution DISINFECTION OF INGESTA (FOOD, DRINK, ETC ) It is well established that cholera and typhoid fever'are very frequently, and perhaps usually, transmitted through the median. of infected water and articles of food, and espec.ally m.lk. For- tunately we have a simple means at hand for disinfecting such jnfected fluids. This consists in the application of heat The boilmg temperature maintained for half an hour kills all known di^ase germs. So far as the germs of cholera, yellow fever, and diphthena are concerned, there is good reason to believe that a temperature considerably below the boiling point of water will destroy the.n But, in order to keep on the safe side, it is best not to truest anything short of the boiling point (212° F.) when the object m view is to disinfect food or drink which is open to the suspicion of containing the germs of any infectious disease Durmg the prevalence of an epidemic of cholera it is well to may be filtered, .f necessary to remove sediment, and then cooled mihpi4re ice, if desired. A sheet of filtering paper, such as druggists use, and a glass or .„ funnel, furnish the best means for filtering water on a small I2h day "^ ^^ P"'"^'^'^'- ^ ^'^^'^ ^^^^ ^'^P^P^'- is to be used FUTILITY OF MEANS OF DISINFECTION OFTEN ■ EMPLOYED. ^'ir-n is .^^^^°'''°^^^'f°'"^*='»°'^''^'-« often resorted to. not infrequently, o be rejjreticd, at the suggestion of medical and sanitary iin — 22 — authorities, which have been shown by recent experiment to be entirely nseless, and indeed, worse than useless, since they inspire false confidence in means which utterly fail to accompHsh the result desired. Thus the practice of suspending in the sick-room cloths which have l)een immersed in some much- vaunted proprietary disinfect- ant, in carbolic acid, in solutions of chlorine, bromide, etc., does not in any degree destroy the disease germs present, since these germs can not be destroyed by any known chemical agent infused into the atmosphere in such quantity as to permit of the atmosphere st.ll being respired-or, as Dr. Sternberg in a pnper previously alluded to expresses it : " Disinfection of the atmosphere of an occupted apartment is entirely impracticabk, because the inmates ivouUibe suffocated by (tny effective volatile germicide agent before germs present in the atmosphere could be destroyed." UTILITY OF DEODOitA.NTS AND ANW- SEPTICS. rpHE danger of using a deodorant to accomplish the work of a -*- disinfectant, we believe has been made sufficiently clear. One would be greatly in error, however, to deduce from this tact the conclusion that deodorants and antiseptics serve no useful purpose. On the contrary their utility is second only to that of the disinfectants themselves. For while our first aim must be to kill the gfrms which propagate disease, the accomplishment of this purpose does not necessarily insure the destruction of the odor inseparable from the decay of organic matter . While, therefore, we should see to it that no effort is spared to destroy the germs, having rendered these innocuous it should also be our care to mask or neutralize by deodorants the diRsgre^- f — 23 — able smells that are inseparable from the existence of those per- tions of the home which are designed to be the receptacles of the waste, the refuse, the excreta. The sink, the drain, the vault, therefore, claim the systematic attention of those who would keep the sanitary surroundings of their homes perfect-and deodorants sliould be used with an un- sparing hand. It will not infrequently also be impracticable to remove or thoroughly destroy accumulations of organic material which form a nidus for the development of disease germs. In such cases it is essential that the process of putrefaction be arrested by antiseptics and the effluvia arising from decomposing matter be rendered odorless. HEEDLESSNESS OP THE PEAK OP CHOLERA. WHILE it would be in the highest degree imprudent to advise the public to neglect any reasonable sanitary precaution or abate their eflforts to render their persons, their food and drink, their homes and general surroundings as absolutely free from sources of contamination with infectious material as cleanliness, disinfectants, deodorants and antiseptics can make them, it would at the same time be unwise to instil a needless fear of an epidemic of cholera. While the newspapers are, as is their duty, sounding the alarm and warning against the dangers of this dread scourge, it is well to look also at the conservative side of the subject. In the discussion following a recent lecture on cholera in Bos- ton it was asserted by one of the speakers that, in his belief, during an epidemic of cholera, more persons died from fright than from tholera. As illustrative of his belief he related a story about the Plague meeting at. angel when crossing the desert. To the ques- -.=1 said, " Vou .„,a „e ylT^lZ^'X: m 7Z '^ som, but 10,000 have died." To this .h» Pi ''^ >*'• o».X «5,ooo , .he o.he. 5, J^ildlS" ' "'"'"'' " ' ■"" the susceptibility to its ravIgS ""'' and increasing ™«s o^^irsn^Sltlw" ""-"' "-^' '■''-'''"^ '- .ven "oJ'arepHe'r""chol*' 'T' ''"'" '""' "» "-•«« agitation over the srtiect h^. / "°*"''»«-''"W= harm. The stimulated health iS t Ctaft^^"^""' "" "^ ■"" °"'^ wide-spread fear of the exp^^ai^^"^ J^ "T. '"'"'" " '''^ nervous persons an ataos. paniclTvl^^Hi.^' ' " '" """^ the most intelligent have an exl.. Tl "' '""''' "■■"« ««» bilities which .1.= cling «"r"^ "«''<>'''•= li^efc. possi. nearly all the families whlh^r„y ^U",^ ,J^ T' ' " '^ are now planning to leave it mXarl^.l " '" *' ""'""'' "We have felt it ,0 iTTh,"^" '" '°''">™'-)'- boundenduty, to urge as lon„ ' ■"""' "^- '"'''«'' »"' on foot the most thru^p fvenL'""'"' *''' """ ■" -'"""^ To spend money to keen 1, ,7? ■"'"""'' °«""=' «'>*'>• most humane plan l71° t 'j'"^ " ">' *•• '"^ '"capes, and duty will have'been doie a^d t " '"" ""' ~-°^' ^' ''- useful lessons in sa„,.a°I„;. "' "" '^'''"' *'" "-' ««ived some " It should be understood, however .h« .k tl«« being any extensive ou.biatTl', "?. P"'«'''% "f ing the coming year i. small. , ? ™ '" """ """"■'• -»"• sporadic cases ipelrL His ct'''"' P^'-^lity of any but PP anng m this city is very remote indeed. The- ravages™ Paris las. fell "" ^^ **« »"'=" '«e„e of i,. "> «P~., also, .he s.a,eme„, Z chT" '• " « "<*»4' ««« like scarle, fever a„S 1;X f.^ ""' ^ ^""'"^ious d.V Ind,a where i, „ endemic, cTe« „o 1 "'T'" '° ""« <" ".an does .he presence of alpuSZ ".ht " ''™ " 'T "«« HOW .O K..P ..^^ ,,3^^^^^ ^_^^^ rPHE ^. K ^.^/i.„/ ^,„,^ also . . . J- ™.i.led ..Cod. of Rnles {T^L/'^" "' « Pamphlet and Comagious Diseases in Schools .'„.kr™"°" "' '""""^ ges.,o„s «,i.h ex.rac.s from the boS " '""" ^""'"" «8- d»« in U,e belief .ha. .he inform«S> iTT' """^ *' '»"» to the reader : "'"" «nvej-ed may be acceptable "There is ye. considerable diversity „f ■• measures are bes. and mos. practicaWe fof w f"""" " '° **a' erup.,ve fevers from schools. The DroM ?j"* "" '»f«"<'«s accoriance „i.h .he loca.ion o^e "ho":, "T "'«'«"'> ■" own. and i.s characler. whe.h.r public t' """• '" ''"■ <>' the experience of physicians ,ha. m^^s Tca"^ 'I?' " '^ >«» and pertussis wiU appear among school cmZh "'' "'P"'"'™. precau.,ons. And .he public I no. ye^^^" f ?'" "» S^^a.es. when ,. will co.ope,a,e hear,ily Li l^u .'''"' "^ P^'^t officers, or second .hem i„ s.il, mL Tri ™ „ '7' ' """ ""'«' We mus., .herefore, continue makinJT '"' •""'""''"• learning by experience wha. arertetft™ J '?~'""^"", and without using methods too i„.ric»,. ,„.'u™°?" '" '^''''^k mf^^tion ., uurucnsome. — 26 — '* A step in this direction was made recently in the attempt to instruct teacliers in the early symptoms of the eruptive fevers and other contagious maladiec. " According to the • Code ' before us, which is intended chiefly for private institutions, every large school should have a detached infirmary, and, where possible, a separate building for infectious diseases. In small schook there should be a 'sick- room' at the top of the house." DURATION OF ISOLATION AFTER EXPOSURE TO CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. The following quarantine times after exposure to infection are considered safe, provided thdrough disinfection be carried out on the pupil's return to school : Diphtheria, twelve days' quaran- tine ; scarlet fever, fourteen ; measles, sixteen ; German measles (Rotheln, or epidemic roseola), sixteen ; chicken-pox, eighteen ; small-pox, eighteen ; mumps, twenty-four ; whooping-cough, twenty-one. With regard to that most important question, *• When may a pupil who has an infectious disease go home, or rejoin the school ? the following rules are endorsed, provided patient and clothes are thoroughly disinfected, «• A pupil may go home, or rejoin the school, after scarlet fever, in not less than six weeks from the date of the rash, if desquamation have completely ceased, and there be no appearance of sore throat ; measles, in not less than three weeks from the date of the rash, if all desquamation and cough have ceased ; German measles (Rotheln, or epidemic roseola), in two or three weeks, Ihe exact time depending upon the nature of the attack ; small-pox and chicken-pox, when every scab has fallen off; mumps, in four weeks from the commencement, if the swelling has subsided; whooping-cough, after six weeks from the com- mencement of the whooping, provided the characteristic spasmodic — 27 — cough and the whooping have ceased, or earher, if all cough has completely passed away; diphtheria, in not less than three weeks, when convalescence is completed, there being no longer any form of sore throat, or any kind of discharge from the throat, nose, eyes ears, etc., and no al' uminuria." In conclusion, it may be said that such means as quarantine disinfection, etc., cannot supply the place of thorough 'cleanliness' and abundance of fresh air, though it must be admitted that the' frequent lack of enforcement of the one, and the absence of the other, make the resort to disinfectants, deodorants, and antiseptics a swe qua non to the prevention of disease and the maintenance of health. — 28 — USE OF THE "BED CROSS OZONIZED FLUID.*^ [Being highly concentrated this Fiuid shouid aiways be diiuted with fronn 100 to 200 times its bulk of water : Say a wineglassful of fluid to a pall of water, or a teaspoonful to a pint of water. For convenience the fluid so diluted is called i>iiute Fluid In the following directions for its use.] 1. To Prevent Spread of Infectious Diseases.— Remove from the sick room all bed and window curtains, and carpets. Hang across the room door, so as to form a screen, a sheet or blanket, which moisten freely and often with dilute fluids by spraying or otherwise. Place underneath the bed, and in other convenient parts of the room, basins or dishes containing dilute fluid. Keep within reach of the patient a vessel similarly charged for him to spit into when he so requires. Have close at hand a pail, which should be of metal and not of wood, half full of dilute fluids wherein immediately to throw bed-clothes and other articles removed from the patient. After emptying chamber utensils or night-pans, and before replacing them, throw into them one or two teacupfuls of dilute fluid. Use dilute fluid instead of plain water for sponging the hands, face, and other parts of the patient's body, when that is permitted, taking care that the sponge be clean, and that no soap be employed. 2. To Purify and Maintain in a state of Purity the air of Apartments, Bed-chambers, School-rooms, Workshops, Cabins and Bunks on Board Ships, Hospital Wards, Sick Rooms, &c.— Place in convenient situations dishes or basins containing dUtite fluids changing the contents when the pink color has disappeared ; hang up cloths, such as old sheets or counterpanes, kept moist by sprinkling with same; exhale, from time to time, into the air by means of r - 29 — <* , spray producer." To all water used for cleansing, scrubbing. and watering the floor, and especially to that with which water' closets and night-pans are swilled and flushed, add an equal quantity ot dilute fluid. ^ aif; T? ^If '^ ^**^^®^* Ctow-houses, Dog-kennels. Slaughter-houses, Butchers* Shops, Dairies, Larders. -Measures similar to above, or such of them as are applicable, will suffice to keep in a state of purity these and all other places wherein the air is liable to pollution. Should offensive matter be present, sprinkle dilute fluid by hand or by means of a watering can having a finely perforated rose, over the floors and walls. 4. To render Safe Infected aothing, Bedding, &c -Linen and such other articles as admit of washing, on being removed froni the patient, should be plunged for twenty-four hours in a tub of dxlute fluid. After this they can be boiled and washed with safety. 6. To Cleanse Wounds. Ulcers, Cancers, &c.-Wash, syringe, or spray the affected parts with dilute fluid. Sponges u^^in the operation ought to be previously well washed in dilute 6. To keep Dust-bins Sweet and Wholesome— If !; J'vT^ * ^^^' ^""^ •'^'^""'^ '" ^"'«"»«^' the <^0"tents with rnT-f ^ means of a watering-pot having a finely perforated ro^ ; during .M after the removal of the dust, sprinkle the bin witn same. dL Jr ?'^j^^* Water^losets, Bed-pans, Urinals. Drams, Smks, &c.-Pour all round the surface a sufficien quantity of .^^.^«^, .erubbing the while with a clean hard ^sh Some fluid doubl. the strength of the dilute fluid should be put into night-chairs and bed-pans previous to use. TMnaic wnen well scrubbed aad swilled once a day with fluid "dilutei; ~ 30 — never smell offensively. A convenient plan is to syringe the sur. faces once or twice a day with dilute fluid by means of a common garden syringe. Drains and sinks should be copiously flushed with plenty of water, and lastly with dilute fluid. The disgusting smell of cabbage water, which so rapidly pervades a whole house, is prevented by adding a few drops of fluid to the water before pouring it down the sink. Water-closets can be rendered safe and inodorous by conveying into the pan each time the closet is used, a very minute quantity of fluid. 8. To Disinfect Cesspools and Privies.— Mix a quarter of a pint of undihited fluid with six gallons of water ; thoroughly wash the walls of the cesspool, and cover the surface of the soil with the mixture. 9. To Sweeten Musty Barrels, Dairy Utensils, Fickling-tubs, Slop-pails, Bottles, &c.— Rinse well with dilute fluid ; when convenient, allow some to remain in them for a few hours, and then rinse again. In the case of bottles, the dilute fluid may be used with shot. 19 To prevent Blight, Smut, Bust, ''Spot," &o., in Plants. — Use dilute fluid for watering. "Spray" with tmdiluted fluid iht plants themselves when afl^ected. 11. To Test Water for Putrescent Organic Matter. — Add to a tumbler full of water to be examined one or two drops of Fluid undiluted^ which will give it a very faint pink hue. If, after standing three or four hours, the pink color has gone, or turned to yellowish, the water is tainted, and cannot be used safely in the state in which it is. If, on the contrary, the pink hue maintains itself, the water may be used with safety. 12. To render Impure Water Sweet and Safe to Drink j^ and to ensure Purit"0" in GistemB? Tsnks^ fee^ — 3' — (ftW Fluid is inmcuous /„ .M„k, „„, y,H„, „rcns a«U ^J^.*,>Aer .,,,te in ,o,u,io„, and tjr, LepZ'u 1 filtmuo,,, cr ,„ smpcmic.) For every fifty gallons of wa.er pour. „,„, he cistern, .ater-bu,. or ship' .a„k^„e winir, „,' .tand several hours „r overnight. Unless ,he water be very foul th.s quantuy of Fluid will suffice to render it perfectly sweTt If . very famt p,„k tinge remains some time longer in the water a I organic .mpurities are proved to be neutralfsed. Sholld hoj ever he p,nk cole- disappear after standing overnight, the water F ,^7 :, r '^''\''™°'P°''«' impurities, which combine with the Ftod, and form harmless insoluble Socclen, particles, may tl«n be albwed to settle till the water is clear, or the water may l^I 13. To Enhance the Pulling and InviBoratiB„ effect Of Baths. Tubs.&c.-E,4ts!f rm„s."efS*gT„? .nvgorafng character-resembling in many respect, those pr" duc^ on the body by pure country air-are obtained by „« of h^ W Through the mfluence exerted on the nerves and vessels of the sk,n by the o.onic oxygen.the tone and vigor of the JZi are matenaly improved. Being <,„ite compatible with Salter Ozom^ed Fl«,d forms a most useful addition to sea-sal, bat ' Youngchildren are particularly benefited by its use. u.^*f'7 ^^•~'^"^ '" ' "'« g'«»rf-I of the Fluid, ZH- T'T' '° ™"""S *' •»"••. "Xl ^«' till it is well cliaused. As the P-nk color vanishes, whilst the ha. I,.r i. i„ .i, balb, iel,.more fluid be added, r — 32 ^ Tubs and Foot-baths n • -"—Care must be (al„„ ""'".and „„,.„ „,,,^ f" "o. .0 ,„,„,„,, Sponges Shew be previous; 'St "' "" "' "'''=»«„' W. The O^one-bleaoh fori ' """"^ '" '""" ""^ bleaching being identical ."'^ ."""'eness, this processor ,e,d. "»'■"' wuh «,at „hich ob.ai„: ^XZZ 15. To remove Ste* 5^ Disinfectants & Antiseptics. The Importarii difTerence between a DISINFEC- TANT and an ANTISEPTIC agent is one which should tao generally noted. A nixlujrcl.int, m its name iinplif'.s, should .iostioy, tlcH-omposo !iri