New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-08
FIGHTING DISEASE GERMS.
DISINFECTION BY STEAM THE BEST WAY
TO KILL THEM.

DR.. Alvah u. Doty, Health officer of the Port
of NewYork, has written an interesting article
On the subject OF "Disnfection by Steam which
IS published in the current number OF The
American Journal Of Medical Sciences" The
writer says that after careful study there can
be no doubt as to the superiority for many pur-
poses of steam over all other disinfectants He
says: THE certainty OF its germicidal effect the
rapidly of action and its high penetrating power
under proper conditions cive 1t the highest rank.
Unfortunately, the cost of apparatus necessary
for it's proper application limits its use mainly
to quarantine and other public service. AL
though potent when inteliigently employed,
steam is worthless when Improperly applied
The writer then describes the apparatus for
dsinfection by steam now in use on the oiSiii-
fecting steamer James w. Wadsworth, at the
New-York Quarantine Station. According to the
ideas of the writer, go degrees Fahrenheit is
the temperature that is needed for disinfecuon.
He says:
This is unouestionably safe, and can be de-
pended upon to kill all known micro organisms nn
which may be in clothing and other articles pre-
scented for treatment, provided there is an ex-
posure Of fifteen minutes to this degree OF neat.
At the expiration Of this time. to temperature
OF 80 degrees the steam exhauster is USED Sc
curing the same degree OF vacuum AI'eI
the vacuum of twenty inches mas peen optaiheu
the fresh air inlet is opened and a current OF
fresh air allowed TO pass through the chamber
and its contents This. 1t must be understood
IS in conjunction with the steam exhauster,
which is stili kept at work. The entrance OF the
air. of course. breaks the vacuum, but the ex-
hauster carries the air rapidly through the cham-
her After an exposure of eight or ten minutes
to this treatment the clothing, after being un-
rolled and exposed for five or six minutes be-
comes dry and can be at once worn
DR.. Doty made a series OF tests In whcn ne
used packages of infected paper. because that
material offers as much opposition to penetra-
fhn~ urtth yyh
the disinfector has to deal The results were
highly satisfactory. and established the theory
upon which the Doctor was working to his per-
feet satisfaction. Experiments with packages
containing micro organisms showed that where
these were subjected to low temperature the
death of the mcro-organisms resulted in some
instances, but the writer says ut is unsafe TO
compute too closely the degree Of heat necessary
for germicida action: therefore, considerable
margin should be allowed. For this reason be-
lieve that temperature of at least 100 degrees
must be secured inside the packages to be dis
infected"
At a temperature Of 10 degrees and an ex-
posure of ten minutes plague germs showed
growth in packages of one pound Of newspaper,
but no growth in & blanket; dphtheria showed
no growth in either paper or blanket and anthrax
showed no growth At temperature OF 700
degrees plague germs grew in paper packages,
but not in a single sheet nor in blanket; a two
pound package of newspaper developed diph-
liberia germs, but no growth was observed IN
single sheets Of paper one-pound bundle nor
In a blanket. At a temperature OF go degrees
and an exposure of five minutes plague. diph-
liberia or anthrax germs did not grow in the
same class of objects.
DR. Doty believes that the disinfection Of ships
cargoes on board the ship is valueess. He says:
| do not believe the low temperature of the
hull possibly be raised to SUFFICIENT de-
gree by the amount OF steam which can be
thrown into this part of the vessel. taking Into
consideration the numerous leaks which are al
ways present Fortunately the ships hold and
cargo are rarely infected, and are too frequently
subjected to a worthless disinfection.
Dr. Doty has also an interesting article in the
current number Of THE North American Re-
view" on "Quarantine Methods" in which he
reviews the progress made since the establish
ment of the first quarantine in 1913. This quar-
antine or forty days detention, was established
In Venice DR.. DOty says:
It was at that period that the plague under
the name OF the BLACK death, prevailed In
Europe. The devastation which ensued seems
almost incredible. Hccker estimates that 20
ODNVU0 or One-quarter or the population OF
Europe, succumbcd to this disease; O,WD died
Paris and out of population of 2,ooO,oW
IN Norway only 100000 survived II is not to
be wondered at that the most drastic measures
were taken TO shorten this reign OF terror.
There is very little to show. however, that the
means employed were effective. either AT the
seacoast in the interior. still, occasionally We
find evidence of good work: for example. during
The outbreak Of the plague which occurred In
Italy in 1906 there were 3WOOo deaths from
this disease in Naples. ana only I.1o IN Rome.
This was attributed and probably Justly so. to
the strict sanitary precautions enforced by
Cardinal Gas,aldi in the latter city.
The writer tells Of the various methods OF