New-York tribune., 1909-03-31
OZONE A GERMICIDE
DR. DOTY TELLS RESULTS
OF EXPERIMENTS.
Health Officer Convinced That Gas
Taken from atmosphere Is a
P01cerfM Dianfectant.


After experimenting for two months IN his la bora
tory at Quarantine. DR. 4. II. Doty Health Officer
q this port. has found that ozone is a powerful
sermicide and disinfectant.
over a year ago DR. Totv solved the ,-o,,le,,, 90
mosquito determination on Staten Island and
proved recently that paper and metal money was
not an agent Of disease. The Health officer has
now turned his attention the study os ozone
About two months ago he had installed in his
laboratory a. Quarantine an expensive plant for
ths manufacture Of gas. and afrer many expert
rnen1s with it announced yesterday the success Of
his work
While the OF this gas taken from the atnos-
1here will be Of great Importance on shipboard Dr.
Do1y IS not confning his experiments TO this field
hut Is working now along general lines.
Dr- Doty said yesterday that his experiments had
convinced him that ozone undoubtedly would be
come one q the great disinfectants While it would
never he as potent a ge-mCide as steam, the field
FOR lis Use, he said. would be large and OF benefit
70 humanity IN many ways.
Dr.. DOty said his work would be limited largely
70 experiments Il determine just what could be
done with ozone disinfectant. TIE methods
~ its economical manufacture, Re said. he would
leave TO others
The Health Officer said that the great question
'n the ozone problem now was whether ii could be
made Of practical use. The manufacture Of the
gas in small way and small cost. he said,
would he Of great value 10 the average hospital
and household where disinfectlon vas necessary.
N sICKROOM AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
As the ozone Is really modified oxygen. Dr. Doty
raid It could he used, II cheaply manufactured in
fhe sickroo1l and in theatres and public buildings
where the air had become foul If a prac-
tioaI disnfectanr. he said would have several
distinct advantages over steam and formaIdehyde.
One feature in favor o. ozone IS that it can be
concentrated in a room. and after having &C
ocnpiished disinfeCton II can he released into the
outer air through open windows and doors. Ieav-
t7s no III smelling odor- Fornlaldehyde leaves an
unpleasant odor for rnanv days.
Dr. Doty said that while ozone had some bleach
inE properties the effect Of its use would not ne
As destructive n I room 2 high pressure OF
The Health once said that there were many
points u Ip in future experiments. T a
fev DAYS he will make tests with wall paper and
EiIt frames 20 determine the effect Of he various
concentrations OF the gas
He said that although the existence Of ozone had
been known fer sixty .-ea~s there had been no real
Trscticai articles printed the subjec.. DotT
believes that the possibilities the Of
in their infancy and that the practical in,es-
tiEstion of il has Just begun.
EXPLAINS HIS EXPERIMENTS.
Regarding his experiments at Quarantine Dr..
Tror- said
ozone i particularly active mod lfcation OF
oxygen. having peculiar odor. often noticed dur
tx the working Of electrical machines. Although
there are numerous methods Of securing this gas
Tor experimental and practical purposes II IS usual
oxygen IN the air This is the method employed in
7he present experiments Quarantine Under nor
nal conditions ozone probably does not exist in
-e air a. least 20 any appreciabe extent, although
believed that u is present in certain sections
~ the world where the air is known 70 be par
,i-ularIy pure Il is produced by lightning
There is no doubt that ozone is q powerful
o1d-zinE and bleaching agent. and that II also has
r-orounced germicidal properties. Exactly what
TIC latter are and how far they may be Of practical
value in the disinfection publication OF vessels
dwelling houses, institutions etc, and IN the treat
-n.-r q presumably infected clothing and other
material is the principal object OF my present IN
--s--fea-ion An agent may be destructive TO the
specific organisms Of infectious disease IN laoor
sro-- experiments. but in practical dlsnfec'ioh i
-z, ~s+f 70 he Of value because II cannot be gen
GRATED IN Sufficient quantities or quickly enough OF
ne ar7a-arTJs which produces IL may not be prac-
-f-si or may be too expensive Tor genera vs.
These are conditions which require caFeIui Hi'a'Es
before the value OF any agent as disinfec'aht can
Re decided. -,
,.rr--,-- the last fifty or sixty years ozone has
,.e, -ro-e or less actively investigated altnou8h
7re acrk has been confined principally 10 ADo4
,or,- e17eri1lents and largely as matter ol
,,--iosir~ and not much as 70 IT'S Ifa@St''al "I
--s-o--o- Recently however, extensive tests h"'e
rs,- made with the view Of employing o1ole Io
the purifcation OF water While IheIe = i1o p"o
,io7 about its value IN this diTecnon' Il - Hl9
-. - -ye treatment which is the present oblec-
- - -. v.a What the future may do in the
~ =. overcoming this IS nov an important con-
alteration, ,.<-...
"A superficial opinion o. ozone as oslnlecldnt
49, :. za agent which may be employer IN VaIi"UH
- a e. .-sdes would as the result OF our
present knowledge be very optimistic ana al oauS
~-z-x- -a.he- extravagant predictions nave oeeh
made rs 10 its future. However THIS Is largely u"
,aor, n the subject and. in many other similar
.,,-os. ca-eful practical investigation may not
sz-se with this verdict.
ADVANTAGES OF OZONE
To b. able to take from the air at any tne an
,ze-. which nay be used for the destruction oL
r.r-,s capable OF transmitting Infectious disease
- 20 ,5ler purposes IS important. While ozone
=, -, s6,artazes over other gaseous disln-
.-,.-~e Er,ch as sulphur dioIide and for7nAlde-
,,-5e for instance and whiie in the concentration
-..es.ary for dsinfecton II Is irritating ara no
'-l-etr. ~. irritating qualities ere promptly re-
-. and overcome by the entrance OF freSH a1F
NO IN. apartment the completion OF ths eXperl-
-. zhe7.ss in the OF sulphur oioxsde ano