Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-07
.FUMIGATE THE HOME
SANITARY PRECAUTIONS URGED
IN PAPER READ BEFORE THE
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Recommended That All Homes Should
Be Thoroughly Fumigated at Least
Twice a Year-The Most Practical
Methods.

d..
The fumigating of the home at least
twice year as a sanitary precaution
Is recommended by G. A. Johnson in
paper read at a recent meeting of
the Iowa State Board of Health on
Some Thoughts on Fumigation."
Some valuable suggestions on the cas-
lest and most practical way to fumi-
gate.a room were given.
Regarding the subject of fumigation
he said in part:
I'm taking up the consideration of
fumigation, take it for granted that
all recognize the fact that all contagi-
GUS diseases are due to microparasites
and further, that without the live
germs, there will be no contagious di-
sease. Therefore, if all germs that
produce a certain disease were to be
destroyed, there would be no more
outbreaks of that particular disease.
This would be in accord with that uni
versal law of nature relative to cause
and effect, THAT when there is no
cause = germs, there is no effect Il
disease.
There are two general methods of
destroying microparasites. First n
The one that is most under mans con-
troll, where some artificial agent, as
heat, chemicals, ETC., is used that will
destroy the vitality of the germs that
i; comes in contact with, and
Second - The natural method, that
is, causing the organism to die ma
tural death, or we might say, to pro-
duce death by starvation through pre-
venting the germs from coming in con-
tact with (food) susceptible animals.
The Two Methods.
There are Two methods of keeping
germs from coming in contact with
susceptible subjects.
First - BY rendering all suscepti-
bles immune by artificial methods as
vaccinating against smallpox, anthrax,
tetanus, ETC., and
Second = By keeping all suscepti-
bles from coming in contact with the
germs. But the means of conveying
germs from one place to another are
so different to control that it is prac-
tica!ly impossible to accomplish this
in many cases.
Again, it should be understood that
the starvation method is not applica-
Bile, or at least not practical when
dealing with faculative germs that
is. those germs that may live outside
as we'll as inside the animal organism,
as the bacilli tetani = because of the
great difficulty in keeping all food ele-
ments away from such germs. This is
especially true of germs that are in
digious TO a certain locality or coun-
try. But it is not our intention to en-
ter into discussion of these phases
of the question further than to repeat
the old axiom that in the care of all
contagious diseases the, first essential
principle of all lines Of treatment
should be to prevent, as far as posi-
Bile, the spread of the disease. This
must of necessity consist in prevent
ing suscep!ibles from coming in con-
tact with the germs.
ShouIe. be Disnfected.
F'To accomplish this susceptibles
should not be allowed to enter infected
premises and persons and animals
should not be allowed to leave the in
fected premises without first being
thoroughly disinfected because they
might carry tie germs to susceptibles.
again it is essential that infected
premises should be disinfected as
soon as possible after disease has
run its course, so as to destroy all
germs that may be lodged in the room,
furniture, etc. These restrictions
known as quarantine, always work
more or less hardship upon the afflict-
ed parties, and to lessen this burden
as much as consistency and safety
will permit "a duty incumbent upon
all, various means and methods have
been devised
New Method of Fumigation.
sit is quite generally agreed that
formaldehyde gas is one of the best,
If not the best, and most practical
germicide that we have knowledge of,
for destroying germs that may be
lodged in a room, furniture, clothing,
etc. And the formaldehyde lamp is
used extensively for this purpose. In
some cases the lamp was found to be
impracticable and another means was
devised for generating the gas. 1t
was found by pouring formalin, the
commercial, 40 per cent solution of
formaldehyde, onto dry crystals of po-
tassium permanganate gas was gen.
Grated that was very effective in de-
stroying germs.
1t is safe to say that the gas there
generated is composed largely of for
maldehyde and it seems to possess
just as destructive and penetrating
properties as pure formaldehyde gas.
Method Is Simple.
'The most commendable feature of
this method is the ease with which it
can be used. All that is necessary is
a supply of the potassium perman-
ganate and formalin and vessel, pref
erably Of iron, tin or earthenware.
.In order to fumigate room it is
only necessary to close the windows.
put the permanganate in the vessel
and place upon it some object that
heat will not injure, for when any con-
siderable quantity of the chemicals
are used more or less heat is general
ed by the chemical reaction, then pour
on the formallin, close the door and
leave it alone for two or three hours,
then open up the room. 1t is better
to open an outside door or window
first so that the pungent gas will not
fill the other parts of the house.
Quantities to Use.
1.-THE exact quantities of the chemi-
calS that III will he necessary to use