New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-07
SANITARY RECOMMENDATIONS.
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OH HEALTH,
New Orleans, July ], 1872.

OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH,
New Orleans, July ], 1872.
The Board Of Health recommend to their
felI0W-citizens the liberal use of deOdorants
and disinfectants during the summer
months.
The best and cheapest disinfectant and
deodOrant for privy vaults, ces@pOOls and
all places where the decOmposing animal
and vegetable matters are not likely soon
to be removed by natural or artificial means
is the 'zinc-iron disnfeetant." This has no
chemical superiority to the disinfeetant
recommended by the Board Of Health one
year ago, but can be furnished to the public
at One-half the price.
The zinciron disinfectant is a waste
chemical product of a New York industry
for recovering tin from scrap tin, concen-
trated for transportation.
The photo salts of iron, among them cop
peras, have no action upon free sulphuretted
hydrogen. The zinc-irOn solution, furnished
as a waste product, has its iron as ferrous
chloride, or photo chloride. 1t is therefore
treated with nitrate of soda and hydro
ehlOric acid while hot, which converts the
photo into per chloride of iron at a small
cost, but to its great advantage as disin-
fecting agent
Each pint contains about six and one
sixth ounces of chloride of zinc aud five
ounces of per chloride of iron.
These metallic salts destroy totally and
immediately all free sulphuretted hydrogen,
sulphide of ammonium and phOsphuretted
hydrogen, the chief effdsion and deleteri0us
emanations from vaults, eesspOOls, water
closets, etc.
Carbolic acid has no action on these sub
stances, but by it's presence prevents fer
mentatiOn, decomposition and the fOrma-
ton, of sulphur compounds from these de-
caying and fermenting excrementitiOu mat
teTs.
It's action is therefore not remedial, but
preventive.
AS carbolic acid is unpleasant to SOME,
and produces disagreeable effects upon
others, the zinc iron disinfectant is put up
both with and without it, thus enabling
citizens to exercise choice. in their use of a
disinfectant.
Each preparation will completely and at
once destroy all foul OdOrs, but if carbolic
aoid be not used, the process of deOdoriza-
ton will require more frequent repetition.
From pint to a quart will perfectly de-
odOrize ordinary vaults, and will not re-
Quire repetition in less than ten to fifteen
days. The proper method of use is to add
One-half pint of disinfectant to an ordinary
wooden bucketful of water, pour into the
vault, and repeat every twelve hours until
OdOr has entirely disappeared. The disin-
fectant thus diluted can, with advantage to
health, be occasionally spYinkled over damp,
i'll smelling yards or other localities.
This disinfectant may be used for open
cutters, drains ETC., but sulphate of iron,
I. E., cOpperas, may be found somewhat
cheaper, and equally efficient. 1t is, how
ever, to be considered, in estimating the
value of cOpperas as a d efectant, that of
dry cOpperas about one-half is sulphate of
iron. and the other half water of chrystah-
cation.
As a permanent disinfectant of vaults,
and similar places coppeIas is undesirable,
as although destroying OdGs temporarily,
after a short time it is itself decOmposed,
and gives rise to the very compounds which
are so nOXiOus.
The use of lime as a general disiufeetant
is not recommended. Matters in a state of
decomposition are ordinarily alkaline, and
the use of metallic salts is therefore desira-
bic.
An ordinance has lately been adopted by
the board, requiring all privy vaults to be
kept free from OdOrs
In case fOul-smelling vaults are reported,
an order to disinfeet within thirty-six hours
will be issued by the proper officers Of the
board, non compliance with which will be
followed by process of law and the enforce
ment of suitable penalty In such case, the
zinc iron will be the disinfectant whose use
will be required.
For the convenience of the public, ar
rangements have been made by which the
zinc-iron disinfectant can be procured at
the establishments of number of the drug
gists Of each district. The disinfectant thus
sold will, from time 10 time, be submitted
to chemical examination to secure to the
public its genuineness, strength and cOnse-
quent hygieniG value.
II favorable answer is received to in
qrIiries already made in Europe, it is hoped
that in few months an equally effective
disinfectant may be secured for the use Of
the public at a reduction of price nearly
equal to that secured in the disintectant
now recommended.
The Board of Health considers the de-
struetion of these foul OdOrs from cutters
and priyies as a matter of the greatest sani-
tary Importance. and urges upon every
householder Immediately to use the means
herein recommended to free himself aud
family from the nOxiOus influence of these
ill-smelling. uuwholsome exhalatiOns.
G, b. WHITE, NJ. D., President.
S. c. RUSSELL, III. D., Secretary.