Sanitation by electricity : report II upon the manufacture of electrolysed salt water (chloride of sodium and chloride of magnesium) for disinfecting purposes : dealing principally with its stability, bacteriological results, some expert opinions, and cost of production / by Fredk. Wm. Alexander.

  • Poplar (London, England)
Date:
1905
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Sanitation by electricity : report II upon the manufacture of electrolysed salt water (chloride of sodium and chloride of magnesium) for disinfecting purposes : dealing principally with its stability, bacteriological results, some expert opinions, and cost of production / by Fredk. Wm. Alexander. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    fluid from Chloride of Magnesium and Chloride of Sodium at high strengths. A preservative can also be added and the fluid put into dark coloured bottles with corks dipped in paraffin wax, then it will keep its strength indefinitely.* It is well to bear in mind that when the fluid is made at high strengths the objectionable surplus of the Sodium Chloride which has acted as the conductor and remains in the fluid is advan- tageously diminished when the fluid is being diluted to lessen the amount of available chlorine.]: Dr. Bideal “ On the Sterilization of Effluents ” says “ Chlorine and chlorine oxides are as powerful as ozone, are easily soluble and generally more manageable.” It has been stated that “ A fault of the Hermite process was that it failed to sterilise the interior of solid stools,” but is there any known disinfectant which will do this, I know of no disinfectant, with such material it must be always necessary to break it up, or comminute it, or hydrolyse it, but so long as such matter is kept covered with disinfectant, and removed as soon as possible from the house, a great object is attained. It is not proposed to deal with sewage effluents in Poplar but to render fasces innocuous until conveyed to the sewer where they become broken up and the disinfectants will then be free to deal with it, particularly if sewers are flushed from time to time with the fluid.** * There is no need really to use a preservative, as the fluid can be made at high strengths and will keep for days. There is no necessity to supply it in dark coloured bottles, for the public can bring their own bottles; but a stock will no doubt have to be kept for persons who cauuot afford to buy a bottle, and dark coloured bottles can be obtained for Id. each, 25 ozs., instead of the 16 ozs. bottle which at present costs 2d. f It must be remembered as mentioned in my first report, the compouud of chlorine in the fluid is not hypochlorite of soda, but hypochlorous acid, made from the chloride of magnesium, which has been converted into hypochlorite of magnesium, and its oxidisiug power is expressed by the quantity of available chlorine present which cau be easily ascertained by the arsenious acid test. The chloride of sodium (salt) acts as the conductor for the electric current ** “M. Hermite’s proposal is to establish a producing centre in the towns and to supply the liquid through pipes into all the streets aud houses much in the same way that water and gas are at present supplied. The adoption of such a scheme in any place would no doubt lead to a sanitary condition of things hitherto unreached, but many excellent advances could be made in the same direction, it should be remarked, if cost were not an item which so often bars the way. Apart, however, from such a scheme, there is no doubt that the production from sea water of a powerful bleaching agent and deodorant is an innovation which should afford very material aid to sanitary progress. Thus for many purposes the substitution of electrolysed sea water for other and more expensive agents in our seaside towns and villages would doubtless confer many advantages. It could be used, for example—with desirable effect, doubtless— to flush the headings of drains aud sewers; it could be discharged into sewage outfalls; and, lastly, the system could be applied on a small scale for the sanitary treatment of hospitals, barracks, &c., by means of an automatic electrolyser worked from a central electrical supply.”—Lancet Commission.