The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-07-21
ReDrt on Dlsilitciants for Use
On Merchandise.
FoRMALlN WONT KILL MICROBES
But Sulphur straight Gave Them
Thsir Ouietus - Fun Description
OF the Recent Esperir, snts.
From Thursdays DailyD

/" Dluru'Ill- intin iilfu li' an dt .'',-
serday's meeting Of the Board of
Health. The occasion was the pres
rntation Of Dr. Alvarez report re-
garding the fumigation experiments
carried on al the Mail dock. The sum
mary Of the report was as follows:
Formalin had failed TO kill the
germs: on the contrary they had thriv
ed upon the diet. but ii was proven that
sulphur exterminated them.
After reading the report the Board
discussed several vital matters in eX-
ecutive session. In fact the whole
meeting was behind closed doors.
The report of Or. Alvarez is as fol-
lows:
Mr.. II. f. Cooper. President of the
Board of Health.
Dear Sir: have the honor to sub
init the report of the experiments made
TO determine the efficacy of formalin
and also Of sulphur as disinfectants Of
merchandise.
On the 18th instant under the direc-
tion of DR.. F. X. Day, the port physi-
clan, and Mr.. c. B. Reynolds, the exec
utive officer of the Board Of Health
prepared six agar-agar Petri dishes
and inoculated them as follows: Two
with bacilli of bubonic plague, one
with the baclli of typhoid fever, one
with the bacilli of diphtheria, one with
the bacill of pseudo-diphtheria, and
one with the bacillus prodigiosus.
prepared also twelve agar-agar test
,.I ha, x.,,t I,
pathogenic germs above mentioned
and also with the bacillus of pneumo-
MIA.
The Petri dishes and the test tubes,
containing the germs of the diseases
mentioned, were placed all over the
room used for fumigating freight at
the Pacific Mail wharf. Wire netting
was used to cover them as protection
against rats and mice.
The doors We're closed and the for
malin lamp discharged its vapor
through a small hole in the door for
nine hours and a half.
On the following day the doors were
opened and the Petri dishes and test
tubes gathered. 1t could be seen at a
glance that all the disease germs were
growing and showed vigorous colonies
such rapdity that the greater part of
the Petri dish was covered with bright
red colonies.
Two days later numerous mouds
and ordinary germs found in the air
have grown in the dishes and test
tubes.
From the foregoing facts | draw the
following conclusions:
Formalin. as used in this experi-
ment Is worthless as a disinfectant
II is not capabIe of DESTROYING the
germs of any disease nor of arresting
their DEVELOPMENT. II did not show
any deleterious influence over the ordi-
nary germs that float in the air
Owing to the higher temperature of
the disinfecting room at the Pacific
Mail wharf. the germs. while exposed
to the formalne vapor. grew faster
and more luxuriant than they grow in
the laboratory.
However, IL would be erroneous to
conclude that formalin is worthless
as a disinfecting agent. because IL
proved to be of no value in this experi-
ment. Its reputation as a reliable dis
infectant is well established and our
experiepce with il merely shows that
the room AT the Pacific Mail wharf is
not adapted TO its use.
Formalin 10 be efficient must be
used in n room that is not too large
for The size of the lamp. and above ali
The room must he air-tight
on the following day-the 1Gth--the
experiment was repeated, placing new
cultures of all the germs used the pre-
i0" Mnti i ,SonS 49," ',,J ,ir oI' ,h " n ,,' rra
cautions against rats and mice.
sulphur was used instead of forma-
lin for four and a half hours, on the