DISINFECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1241, 11 September 1875, Page 3

DISINFECTION.

Dr John Dougall lias, in a paper read before the He?iltli Department of the Sociai Science Congress, sought to throw light upon the science of disinfection. He contends that contagia and infecta are preserved rather that destroyed by carbolic acid, which is used largely as an antidote against these forms of disease. It arrests putrefaction, but does not destroy zymotic poison. Hydrochloric (mv • riatic) acid, on the other hand, is an autisyniotic. For this purpose the commercial acid, which is very cheap, may be diluted with fifty times its weight of water. In this diluted acid the clothes of patients may be steeped for twelve hours, and a portion should be poured down the closet pipe. Dr Dougall found that vaccinine is rendered inert by acid vapours. The conclusions at which he arrives are — 6rst, that putrefaction of organic matter niay be impeded, or neutralised, or the odour masked, and yet any zymotic poison be unaffected, or only made dormant for a short time ; that the experiments with carbolic acid and vaccinine show that the use of anticeptics as anti-symotics is a palpable paradox, preservation being practised and destruction expected ; second, that mineral acids aro true disinfectants, inasmuch as they prevent putrefaction, arrest and transfer ,it into fermentation, which is k^s injurious ; they deodoriae, and are highly anti-zymotic as regards contagia and infecta. Dr Dougall appears to havo reason on his his side. His arguments aie at least plausible. — Melbourne Leader.