The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-09-08
CARBOLIC ACID.
HOW BELLEVUE HOSPITAL NEW YORK
Es mEaHNFECTED.
The Use of CRrbOlTc Acid as an Anti
ZyamotIC n Serious EbeluszOn.


BAYOU GouhA, September 6, 1878.
To the Editor Of the Democrat:
There is O. tradition to the effect that many
years ago the French Academy OF Sciences
was discussing the question, "Wby Is 1t, that
II you partly fill tub with water, weigh 1t
accurately, and then drop o live fish into the
tub, there Is no increase in weightf' This
occurred shortly after the revolutionary war,
and DR.. Franklln, being the American minis
ter at the time, was invited to participate In
the discussion.
That ilustrious philosopher said: Gentle
men, before discussing, let us SEQ whether or
not such Is the fact" and upon making the ex-
pertinent it WAS found not to be true. Still,
1t was partly true. The tub and contents did
weigh more after tho fish was dropped in. but
not as much more as the fish weighed In tho
open air. Upon further investigation it was
found that the increase in weight was exactly
equal to the amount Of water which the fish
displaced or occupied,
This story may or may not be true; at any
rate 1t will serve as an illustration Of the gem
eral tendency of mankind to hasty deductions
from false or from imperfect premises.
[ propose to show that the present lavish
use Of carbollc acid in your city and elsewhere
with the object Of destroying the Injection. Of
yellow fever Ia an egregious, II not costly
error.
Cartotic arid is an arstiseptic, but not strictly
I take for granted, and therefore assume
that no one will deny, that yellow fever Is one
Of what we doctors call the zymotic diseases;
1t acts on the principle Of 9 ferment and pos
tion-the only limit being the material sup
plv. In this respect It holds q striking analo-
gy to the virus OF smallpox Or cow-pox. Now
II | wish to preserve q vaccine crust | WOULD
inClose it In CarbOlated wax, because the car
boIic acid possesses the property Of arrestlng
| the destructive metamorphosis which would
render the virus inert If exposed to the cir
| Thus treated, it's activity would be preserved
But It by no means follows that because car
bolfc acid will arrest putrefaction, it will
| therefore destroy 2ymotic poison. Disiniect-
ants are substances which by their quality Of
rapid oxidation destroy ,,norbitic poison.
| Let me give an example. Bellevue Hospl-
| tal In New York is very old stone structure
The growth OF the city rendered it necessary
to make additions to the main building, and
accordingly 1t was enlarged ia all directions.
Stories added to the top and walls to the
sides, which resulted in having inner rooms
that had no direct communication with the
outside world. In consequences Of all this the
| hospital In the course of years became little
better thnn pest-house. All surgical OPERA
tions did badl y--parturlent women succumbed
|
nently domiclled in tho institution, and the
attending surgeons shrank from performing
necessary operations. In 1874, Prof. D0re-
mus disfnfected the hospital. II / mistake
not it was done In one day. How did he pro-
ceed He did not flush the floors with car
bolic acid, nor spread it upon the walls He
used destroyer OF mOrbific germs, one that
was sanctioned by experience and knowl-
edge of It's properties. He mixed common
salt black oxide Of manganese and sulphuric
acid in due proportions, and the chlorine gas
thus liberated disinfected the wards OF Belle
yue. The diminished mortality since the dis
Infection sufficiently attests the thoroughness
OF his work.
| Dr.. John DougalI, health officer for the
Burgh Of Kinsing Park, Glasgow, In an arti-
Gle Ia the Lancet, August 80, 1778 gives the re-
Is,,lts of some interesting experiments made
with carboiic acid and other substances I
refer those interested to that article; but per-
NIT me to quote some paragraphs: "These
simple facts show that the present extensive
use of carboiic acid as an anti-Zymotic Is seri-
GUS deIusion." X ** "We have no valid
grounds to assume, as is constantly done,
that because carbollc acid can prevent or ar
rest putrefactlon, 1t can therefore annihilate
|zVmotic poison" - ~ ~ "Antception
means preservation, not destruction. AS
proven by the action Of carbolic acid on vac
cine lymph, 1t c0nserves both the physol0gi-
body; at least # does not impair them. !"
''Thus the contagia, which 1t Is thought are
destroyed are preserved To get rid of n.y.
motto poison destructives, not preservatives,
must be used. These, as pointed out are
chiefly the mineral acids"
| The above remarks touching o subject In
which all are interested, are through your
columns, respectfully submitted to the con-
sideration OF the proper authorities.
| I A.. B. SMELL III. d.