London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

London County Council 1900

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

This page requires JavaScript

Table: 5.—Staphylococcus aureus.Table XIII.

5.—Staphylococcus aureus.Table XIII.

Nature of emulsion.Nature of material.Result of culture after exposure.
(a) In brothOn wood—
„On cloth—
„On linen—
„On paper—
(b) In separated milkOn wood—
„ „On cloth—
„ „On linen—
„ „On paper—

Table: Table XIV. 6,— Spores of bacillus anthracis.

Table XIV. 6,— Spores of bacillus anthracis.

Nature of emulsion.Nature of material.Result of culture after exposure.
(a) In brothOn wood+
„On cloth—
„On linen—
„On paper—
(b) In separated milkOn wood+
„ „On cloth+
„ „On linen—
„ „On paper—

Text

Copy text to clipboard

Here, also, the disinfection was successful on linen and paper, but failed on wood (in both
experiments) and on cloth (in one experiment); this same result we have mentioned already in
the case of formalin disinfection, and we would explain it also here (S02) in the same way, viz.,
that owing to the thickness of the wood and the cloth, the deeper portions of the materials are
not acted upon by the gas. It is, therefore, necessary to remember that as regards highly resisting
microbes, such as spores, some stronger measures than formalin or sulphurous acid gas
have to be employed for disinfection of wood or cloth materials.

Table: 7.— Tubercular sputum.The sputum was derived, as in the former case, from a case of pulmonary tuberculosis, and, as microscopic examination proved, was very rich in tubercle bacilli.The table XV. shows the result—

7.— Tubercular sputum.

The sputum was derived, as in the former case, from a case of pulmonary tuberculosis, and, as microscopic examination proved, was very rich in tubercle bacilli.

The table XV. shows the result—

Nature of microbe.Nature of material.Result of experiment on animal after exposure.
Tubercular sputumOn wood+
„On cloth+
„On linen+
„On paper+

Text

Copy text to clipboard

It ought to be stated that all four animals, as also a control animal (injected with control
tubercular paper), were killed four weeks after injection, and all had the same lesions, viz.,
tubercular changes in the inguinal glands, and distinct tubercles in the spleen and liver.
In this experiment, then, the inferiority of S02 (24 hours) to formalin (5 hours) as regards
its efficacy on dried tubercular sputum is very striking, since the S02 had no effect even on thin
material like linen and paper that had been charged with the sputum.