New-York tribune., 1909-09-12
AN ANTISEPTIC PAINT.
German Invention Tested by Imperial Govern
ment in Campaign Against Tuberculosis.

ment In Campaign Against TuberCuIosls.
Consul Thomas H Norton, writing from Chem
nitz, that in the warfare which is being wased
persisently against tuberculosis in Germany. in
creased attention is being devoted to paints and
washes which may be applied to walls. etc. and
which possess the power of destroying germ hfe-
He gives the following example:
In a recent number of the publications Of ths
details regarding the tests applied to the new
pigment in called ntraidn highiy IGs{roqs & us paint:
ease as ordinary paints, With basis Of White
fectne, and il is prepared and sold more speci-
fcally for in rooms. etc. where il is desired
seems to be far IN advance Of all Of the ordinary
substances applied to walls containing lime or lead
The Importance Of such an agent In connectiOn
the microbes of disease. led the health office to
make somewhat exhaustive tests of the germcidaI
results may he briefly summarized as follows:
When in contact with vttralin coating, the
petely destroyed in three DAYS. Diptheria bacii
require five days. typhoid bacili eight hours, and
those OF pus tstaphylococci and streptoCOccD from
eec - cdd he obveS On u1o1 1nT the sp no Of eta a
thrsx. even When the Contact lasted thirty dsVs
although a distinctly rerardng influence upon the
Development of the spores was noticed. Control
experiments carried simultaneously with sur
faces covered with ordinary oil colors. whitewash
etc, showed either no Sermicdal power or much
Direct sunlight renders the lethal action much
more rapid than when il is carried in diffused
daylight. The material upon which the coating is
appie0 exercises no apprecldDte erect L he Same
results we're secured when the pigment spread
over glass. porcelain. brick and wood. Tie disin-
fectant property remains for considerable time
the coating paint, although after the lapse OF
year 1t was found to he distinctly weaker. e.,
a longer time was required TO bring about complete
destruction of bacteria
The investigator came to the concusionsthat the
specific dsinfectant property Of vitralin results
from the oxidation of the linseed oil which forms
an important constituent of this paint. as OF most
paints Further, this oxidation is dependent upon
the presence of a certain degree Of moisture. and.
naturally. of oxygen and warmth well AS light
is an important factor in favorine the formation
OF the active germicidal agent This property or
vitrahu is likewise unaffected by prolonged expo
sure 10 powerful antseptlc agents. such as Corro-
sive submate. formalin. krsol-sulphuric acid, etc;
The conclusion Of the officers Of the Imperial
Health once is that vitralin furnishes highly
valuab bic addition the weapons employed IN
combating bacterial disease, and that II can he
most advantac aceouslv employed in all rooms, etc,
where germ life is liberated, conservatives sana-
tora wards for infectious diseases, snd the like.
Attention is called the fact that the presence
or such Il wall coating as vtralin does not neces-
sarilv supersede the of the customary diSin-
fection methods now legally obligatory. There is.
however q distinct advantage i'm having a con-
tiuuous destruction Of disease germs maintained
whenever they cone in contact with the walls Of
an apartment during its temporary occupancy by
porsou affected Joy an infectious disease.-t onsu-
RCport