INHALATION CHAMBERS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LII, Issue 285, 20 November 1918, Page 8

INHALATION CHAMBERS.

USE OF FORMALIN DISCUSSED

Dr Makgill made to a Dominion reporter on Monday a statement of great importance to thousands of citizens. It amounts to a condemnation of the use of formalin by individuals, and would affest any of the inhalation chambers which use it.

Ha says: "The usa. of irritating antiseptics, such as formalin, is to be deprecated owing to the fact that they cause irritatioi an-1 rawness of the. mucous membrane, and therefore induce bacterial trouble. Formalin especially has been used, and is causing a great deal of unnecessary suffering. For two or three years now in military camps experiments have been carried out, and the only satisfactory thing found is a 2 per cent solution of sulphate of zinc used in a steam spraying apparatus. At the same time, other things are not to be despised, such as. washing the throat with a weak solution of table salt, or a weak boracic solution, or other remedies of a like nature. Such applications should soothe rather than irritato. Otherwise they do ino^e harm than good." This statement -might weaken public faith :'n the efficacy of the local inhalation chamber, where a mixture of formalin and ammonia is used. Members of the local medical profession, however, consider that Dr Makgill's remarks refer particularly to the indiscriminate us© of formalin by individuals. They strongly recommend the public, particularly people engaged daily in town, to use the inhalatory plant. In the absence, of a standard Government plant, in which sulphate of zinc is utilised, the temporary plants established in Maryborough are effective and are doubtless doing much to prevent a more widespread growth of the. epidemic.. Certainly the • formalin mixture is not quite as good as that of sulphate of zinc ; but it is an excellent substitute. The public should have no qualms whatever about attending at the local inhalation plaat regularly. Over 1000 people passed through the chamber yesterday.