Common infective fevers and the use of disinfectants with notes on the health of children. / By William Squire.

  • Squire, William Stevens 1825-1899.
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Common infective fevers and the use of disinfectants with notes on the health of children. / By William Squire. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    circumstances to double that extent; the Litter at 1 to 16,000 has kept a sohitioji of grape sugar from fermenting. This acid combined as Salicylate of soda has no antiseptic power, unless under conditions where the acid is set free; the bi-borate of soda retains near upon half the power of the uncombiued Boracic acid. Formic acid has a similar activity. These three antiseptics are powerful anti-putrescents, jet in such strong solutions as 1 to 25 are not always disinfectant; they, with other germicides as carbolic acid in spray or some prepara- tion of acetic acid, without destroying the germ, impede its developement by uniting with the substances indispensable to germ growth; they also act by preventing germs being set free during decomposition. Chromic acid 1 to 8 is potent. The anti-febrile power of quinine is partly due to some resistance of this kind imparted to the tissues, as by restraining the absorptive power and motility of the white blood corpuscle; it is also seen directly to check the increase of germs by some special action on them ; Iron, alum, tannin, and zinc, act in one or both of these ways. A similar power, long known to reside in the volatile oils, has of late been largely utilised in Thymol and Menthol, the derivative camphors of two of them, and in the oil of Eucalyptus from the leaves of the Australian Blue Gum Tree. The latter also has an ozonising effect on the air while it oxidizes; it is not an irritant even to tender surfaces ; an ointmeut of one part to five is in use. Boracic acid, a weaker germicide, is used in the same way; this acid is soluble in 25 parts of water. Salicylic acid disolves in 760 parts of water, or in 120 parts of olive oil; an ointment of 1 to 27 is ordered in the pharmacopa3ia; by mixing an equal part of borax with this acid, the solubility is increased to 1 in 24-, so that 20 grains can be disolved in an ounce of water, and its germicide power of 1 to 200 maintained. By heating nine parts of Salicylic Acid with ten of Carbolic Acid oxygen is set free and a new antiseptic, Salol, with an odour like that of'Sanitas' is developed; this scent is more marked if one part of Eucalyptus oil be added. As this compound is soluble in alkalis and, to a sufficient extent, in fatty matters it has been incorporated into a useful sanitary soap. When used with oil or vaseline for inunction, the proportions should be eight or ten grains of this compound to an ounce of the medium ; a drachm heated with half an ounce of lard and mixed with three parts of hot vaseline makes a strong and effective ointment. Vaseline takes up 5 per cent, of Carbolic Acid. The use of adding lard or other fatty matter to Vaseline for innuction is that it remains longer on the surface, and aids the diffusion of the Carbolic Acid. Salicylic Acid readily disolves in lard, and this mixed with Vaseline, so that 6 or 10 grains of the acid are contained in each ounce of the Carbolated Pommade, secures better penetration into the epidermic scales, and the carbolic odour is lost. Salicylic soap checks and removes disagreeable perspiration. It is a good rule to keep to one disinfectant, and to bear in mind