The Portland daily press., 1891-04-17
WHAT pIsINeEcTIoN Is.
People Generally do not Understand
tho Process.

"There .s.a common error in the pub
lie mind which confounds the idea OF
odors with that of disinfection," said
Mr.. Cooper McGinn, chief clerk of the
department of public health. "When-
ever the question of disinfection arises
deodorants and disinfectants should be
removed as far as possible from one an
other in consideration. Distinction is
one thing and deodorizing another.
1t is all very well to supply an odor
that is agreeable in connection with the
use of an agent which accomplishes its
purposes as 'germicide,' but the idea
that substituting an odor of carbolic
acid, or / might say 'attar of roses for
any one of the indefnable odors or putre-
faction results in the publication of the
atmosphere upon which the two are
borne is entirely fallacious.
People do not think of using oil of
peppermint, oil of sassafras or any one
of the numerous agents whose pungency
acts acutely upon the membranes of the
nose, but they take it for granted that
the carbolic or pine tar odors accomplish
something different. They do not.
"The agents employed in disinfection
which accomplish results are generally
injurious, and are to be handled with
care. Whenever person tells you that
he has a disinfectant which is absolute
ly harmless, then set it down that he is
telling you the truth in every respect. If
it cannot harm the human in any way
then it certainly won't do any damage
to the heterogeneous it is intended to
destroy. If you can give it to the chill
dren to play with, then the best thing to
do with it is to put it in the sewer and
look for something that is dangerous to
the bacteria and which you can, under
proper instructions and with an intelh-
gence supposed to be superior to that of
the infnitesimal enemy you are combat
ing, use to destroy him.
ABOUT DISINFECTANTS.
"The unquestioned authority in the
United States on this subject is DR..
George Nj. Sternberg, and the informa-
ton evolved from his research, taken in
connection with that of his colleagues of
the American Public Health association,
forms the text book which is followed by
every health officer, health organization
and intelligent practitioner in the land.
HE has told us of the misapprehen-
sion and the injurious consequences
which result from such misrepresentation
and misuse of the term disinfectant.
He cites as an example the use of sui
phate of iron, salt which has been ex-
tensively used with the idea that it is a
valuable disinfectant, and he informs us
that this salt in saturated solution does
not destroy the vitality of disease germs
or the infective power of material con-
tanning them, while, nevertheless, it is
very valuable as an antiseptic, and its
low price makes it one of the most val
liable agents for the arrest of putre-
factive decomposition.
1.-THE health officer has issued cir
cular giving information in extenso re-
garding the methods to be employed in
disinfection of various kinds, and this
circular may be obtained upon applica-
ton: but to give as briefly as possible
an idea of what, in the information OF
the present day, it is proper to use IN
order to secure results in the work OF
disinfection, / cannot do better than
condense from Sternberg about as fol-
lows:
I'm the sick room, in case of diph-
liberia, scarlet fever, etc., the sputa of
tne SICK can, and should be, destroyed
py nre' Excreta may be disinfected
WIN solution of chloride of lima