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formol vapours. Articles that can be steeped in antiseptic solutions can
be disinfected by—
(1) A solution of perchloride of mercury, strength 1 in 1,000.
(2) A solution of carbolic acid, 3 per cent.
(3) A solution of lysol or commercial cresyl, 3 per cent.
(4) A solution of formol, 1 per cent. (1 per cent. of the commercial
solution of 40 per cent. of formaldehyde).
(5) A solution of alkaline hypochlorites (sodium or potassium),
1 per cent. of the ordinary commercial solution.
The period of contact allowed being long enough to permit of the
antiseptic solution thoroughly penetrating any dried germs, say, from
four to six hours.
To secure destruction of rats, three processes are specified as being those
to which Governments might resort, and the opinion was expressed that
the sanitary authority should, in every instance where it did not itself do
the work, superintend its performance, and make sure that the rats had
been killed.
(1) Sulphurous acid mixed with a small quantity of sulphuric
anhydride, driven under pressure into holds and mixed with the air.
This destroys rats and insects, and will, it is stated, destroy the
plague bacillus also if the proportion of sulphuro-sulphuric
anhydride be sufficiently great.
(2) An incombustible mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon
dioxide passed into holds.
(3) Carbonic acid so employed as to constitute 30 per cent. of
the air in the ship.
The last two methods kill rodents, but it is not claimed that they
destroy insects or the plague bacillus.
Yellow Fever.
Article 182.—The countries concerned are recommended to modify their
sanitary regulations in such fashion as to bring them into harmony with the
present scientific data as to the manner in which Yellow Fever is transmitted,
and, in particular, as to the part played by mosquitoes in carrying the germs
of the disease.
The evidence at present available indicates that certain mosquitoes play the
same part in the dissemination of Yellow Fever as other species of the same
insect do in spreading Malaria, that is, they suck infected blood from a
patient, and then inject their infected virus into the body of a healthy
person, who becomes in this manner infected with the same disease.