The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17
FoRMALDEHrDE SUCCESSFUL.
Or. Doty Reports tho Results OF Experiment
with the New Disinfectnnt.

DR.. Doty Reports the Reau1tn OF Experiments
with the New Diainfectnnt.
DR.. Alvah II. Doty. Health Officer OF the Port
of New York. has just made public the result
OF his experiments with formaldehyde gas as q
disinfectant, on which. with DR.. K. ]. Ledcrle,
chemist OF the Health Department, he has been
at work for some time. DR.. Doty began his in.
vcstiRations in 1896, and he was led to take UP
the study OF formaldchyde by the interest that
the new gas had aroused among physicians.
Tho gas was discovered In 1888 by a German
chemist, A. w. Hoffman and its germicidal
properties were proved subsequently through
the Investigations OF A. Trillat, a French chem
list. Steam has been used for some time as a
disinfcctant, but there were many cases
In which steam was not available, and
DR.. Doty set out to discover II formaldehyde
could be used as a substitute in those cases. To
make certain OF this DR.. Doty put through the
regulation tests such bacilli Of disease as tho
organisms Of cholera, dipbtheria. and the In.
dian plague. These germs we're investigated at
the Quarantine station, although the actual
the station. Other tests were made In a room In
the laboratory. which had been especially sup
piled for the purpose with an apparatus for
spraying l~iquefied ammonia all about the room,
in order that the gas might be neutralized when
In the account OF his experiments DR.. Doty
describes twenty-five separate tests, in each Of
which three or more varieties or germs were
soDlC u III oNp AtliChto y = hhu ~ -
room OF moderate size. containing about 1000
cubic feet Of, dir space: Others were in an air.
tight steel box containing about 115 cubic feet
OF air space. In the series of experiments made
with the steel chamber the disinfecting solution
in amounts ranging from eight TO ten ounces
was exposed for different periods of time. Into
q woollen. blanket cultures OF different germs
were rubbed. and in fifteen tests in which the
varied, only one culture OF the germs showed
| any signs OF growth subsequent to the exposure
to the solution. That was the diphtheria germ.
Dr. DOty then tried the tesla In n vacuum. as
the gas. For twelve hours he exposed q quart
Of the solution. He used the germs OF the In
dian plague. of diphtheria, and Of anthrax:
Some were exposed on linen. some were wrapped
in a blanket, and others wrapped In q newspar
per. These lived under the exposure to the gas,
while others inside an envelope between a single
sheet OF paper, ana inside II towel, wer. killed
by the gas in nearly every case.
A greater degree OF success was met in subse-
Quent experiments. in which II WAS learned that
the gas was given Off more satisfactorily by the
paratus was set up in the disinfectinG steamer.
and, after four hours exposure, every germ or
cholera, plague, and diphtheria was killci.
These results were obtained when the germs
and envelopes, and were closed as tightly as pos.
siblc. Fully four hours were needed, however.
to make the tests successful.
The value of The new diSinfcctant will be ap.
preciated most Mt our harhors rs a means OF
disinfcCtion against Southern ports. Already
the mail tests with formaldchyde have been
highly successful. and IL is eticacious, too, in
the case of blankets and towels and newspapers.
1t is said to have no bad effect on animal life
and can be used without danger. DIR. Doty says
that in cases requiring deep penetration the
new disinfectant will not prove successful, al
though Tor superficial cases 1t is OF such value
disinfecting ships which are infected will
disease.