Sulphur as a Disinfectant

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1902, 4 June 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

Sulphur as a Disinfectant

Tho value of sulphur as a disinfectant should be well known. By burning it, the sulphur is oxidised and beoomea a most acrid and poisonous vapor known as sulphurous acid. This acid quickly destroys all kinds of germs, whether of mould, mildow, and other kinds of minute fungi, or pi thote organisms which cause disease in plantß and animals. Tho gorms of all the contagious diseases of farm animals are destroyed by exposure to the fumes of burning sulphur, and wherever theso diseases have appeared, or are expected to appear, they may bo avoided by closing the buildings and fumigating them with Bulphur wrapped ia paper moistened with kerosene oil to make it more inflammable, screwing up the paper and lighting one end. The papers, for safety, should be put in an iron pot or pan. One ounce of the eulpbur will be sufficient to fumigate and disinfeci a Email poultry hoiiße, and a pound will oerve for a large stable or barn. The building should be tighdy closed to retain the fumes, the oattlo, of course, being removed meanwhile, and tbe sulphur should be burned in several places over the floor so that every part of the building may reoeive a full share of the disinfectant. As tho salt known as hyposulphite of soda consists of sulphurous acid united with the base, it h a useful internal disinfectant, and as its action on the internal organs is safe, it is usually given as a preventive to the animals whioh have been exposed to infeotion oz contagion.