Disinfectants And Disinfection 1869 PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1869 edition. Excerpt: ...entirely. We can then proceed to destroy the higher vegetable and noxious animal life. It has been asked if carbolic acid destroys infected matter, or merely prevents change in the matter during the time that the acid is present. Pettenkofer1 says that carbolic acid preserves inert the ferment cells, but when it is removed they become active. If this is true, the disinfectant must be used continuously, and the impure matter must be cleared away continuously, whilst soon in time, and especially in the earth, the infectious matter will die. We must put it out of the position where it will be dangerous. It is difficult to use enough of any disinfectant to destroy poison where life 1 Allgemeine Zeitung, February 4th, 1866. must be preserved, and impossible to do so instantly where the poison is strong. But these acids render fermenting matter inert, and this is the great object to be first attained. (Experiments since made lead me to believe that Pettenkofer must have used very weak acid.) Carbolic acid has been made a subject of special study of late by Mr. Crookes. He found that it did not affect the oxidation or action of inorganic substances. Meat steeped in a one per cent. solution of carbolic acid and then dried, preserved a fresh odour. The same with skin, gut, etc. The same with size and glue. A solution of albumen was very slowly and not completely coagulated by a one per cent. solution of carbolic acid. A few drops added to half a pint of fermenting sugar and yeast stop the action. The solution of one per cent.v stopped the activity of yeast, but produced no change in its appearance. Cheese mites, fish, and infusoria were destroyed, caterpillars, beetles, and gnats. The use of carbolic acid on a large scale was first brought...