The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-07-04
Burning Disinfectants Will
Not Kill Disease Germs
Plenty of Soap and Water will Be
Far More Effective, Experts
Claim

tants used in homes are no more
affective in killing disease germs
than the burning of incense would
be to appease the pagan Gods. The
educational committee of the Min
nesota State Medical Association
declares that soap and water is
cheaper and far more effective.
eff people would use soap and
water more freely and less disin-
fecting connections they would be
better off," declares the bulletin of
the Minnesota State Medical Asso-
citation. ample light admitted in
to rooms will kill more germs than
any spray or smudge.
'rDisinfecting solutions are of
value for distinctions of the hands,
and persons having the care of
cases of communicable disease may
use them to advantage after the
hands have first been carefully
cleansed. But under ordinary cir
cumstances it is not necessary to
use disinfectants. Most soaps have
disinfecting powers. A hand brush
and strong suds used on the hands
with particular attention paid to re-
moving the dirt which collects be-
meath the nails will usually render
the skin not only clean, but free
from harmful germs. Would that
more cooks would bear this fact in
mind. Soaps advertising as con-
tanning disinfectants have been
shown to have little if any stronger
action than ordinary soaps.
dishes and table silver need to
be rendered sterile after use in or
der to prevent the spread of colds
and other infections from person to
person. Here again special disin-
fectants are not necessary, for
washing with hot suds, followed by
scalding water will render these ar
ficles clean and free from all COM
mon disease germs. Unfortunately
both dish water and rinsing water
are commonly used too cool to be
effective. 3D.. ..-
"A great deal is heard about the
danger from dust in the nome or
In the streets. This has been great
1y overrated, for by the time dam
geIous germs have Become srffic-
iently dry to float ar.and IN rhe
air, drying and sunlight ha e rem
dered them harmless. D..st driven
by the wind is, however, mis-
chievous, because it's often sharp
particles are apt to damage the
surface Of the mucous membranes
lining the mouth, nose and throat
and thus favor the entry of disease
producing organisms.
at was formerly the custom to
fumigate rooms after the recovery
OF a case Of diptheria. Some COM
munities even went so far as to re-
quire that an entire house be dis
Infected whenever it was vacated
whether any person in the family
had been sick or not. Such prac-
tices may be compared to the
heather custom of burning incense
to appease the gods of disease so
far as any good resulting from
them is concerned, for diptheria
germs and many other disease or
ganisms die very quickly outside
the human body.
Enough has been said to show
that disinfectants are not needed
for everyday use in the home. How l.
ever some good disinf .ctant shoL'd
be kept on hand for the treatment
OF wounds. Tinctare iodine Or
mercurochrome are excellent for
sterlizing cuts or bruises.
"One thing should be always re-
membered; chemical disinfectants
are usually injurious or poisonous;
and all poisons should be so labeled,
and kept beyond the reach Of chill
dren, preferably under lock and
key"