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Infection and Disinfection: Formaldehyde

Pure carbolic acid will burn the skin. Should an accident of this kind happen, immediately apply ordinary alcohol, whisky, brandy or cologne water. No. 5. Standard Solution of Formaldehyde (formalin). -Dissolve 12 ounces 40 per cent solution of formaldehyde (formalin) in 1 gallon pure soft water. This mixture contains 6 per cent of formaldehyde. It should be kept in tightly corked bottles to prevent loss of strength by evaporation of the gas. This solution, while somewhat more expensive, is preferable for the disinfection of clothing and other fabrics, since it does not bleach or injure them. Use full strength for cuspidors, vessels and sputum cups in the sick room. Dilute onehalf for the tub in which fabrics are immersed and for washing floors, woodwork and the like. It is especially recommended for washing furniture, woodwork and metallic surfaces and for washing the hands and person of both nurse and patient. Formaldehyde is a gas. It is sold in a solution containing 40 per cent of formaldehyde either under the simple designation, "Forty per cent solution of formaldehyde," or under the proprietary designations, "Formalin" and "Formal"; always ask for "formaldehyde" else you may pay extra for the same thing. For disinfecting, it may be used either in solution or in gaseous form. In household disinfection it is generally used as a gas. Formaldehyde tends to fix stains.

Hence they should be removed by appropriate processes before disinfection. Formaldehyde in gaseous form does not injure even the most delicate fabrics. It has a slightly corrosive action on polished steel, but does not affect other metals.

Antidote. If by chance formaldehyde solution is swallowed, give at once one to two tablespoonfuls of solution of acetate of ammonia (spirit of mindererus), or 1 teaspoonful of aromatic spirits of ammonia, diluted with water; or 10 to 20 drops of ordinary ammonia, well diluted with cold water. Send for a physician at once.

The doses stated are for adults. The dose for children must be in proportion to their age. But none of the antidotes mentioned are poisonous, and they can be given in any approximately correct quantity without fear. FUMIGATION OR GASEOUS DISIN- FECTION Preparations. The sick room in all cases and preferably every room in the house, especially in case of smallpox, diphtheria, typhoid and other virulent diseases, should be thoroughly disinfected by fumigation.

This may be accomplished by formaldehyde gas or by the fumes of burning sulphur. During convalescence following cases of scarlet fever, smallpox or measles, the body of the patient should be daily rubbed with vaseline to prevent scales and dry particles of dead skin from being carried by air currents. When sufficiently recovered, the patient should have a warm bath every day until the skin has ceased to peel. When the patient leaves the sick room he should be given a disinfectant bath in Standard Solution No. 3 or No. 5 (bichloride 1:1,000 or formaldehyde 2 per cent). This should be followed by a cleansing bath including a shampoo or thorough washing of the hair and scalp. The patient should then be dressed in clean garments and should not again enter the infected room until it has been disinfected and cleansed. The nurse or attendant should exercise the same precautions against spreading the infection.

After the room has been vacated by the patient and nurse it is ready for final disinfection. This should be done preferably by a duly qualified officer of the Board of Health, but may be done successfully by any one if the following directions are carefully observed.

Fumigation by Formaldehyde. - First send to the drug store for the necessary materials. To ascertain the quantity required measure the room and find the length, breadth and height in feet. Multiply the figures together, disregarding fractions. This gives the cubical contents of the room in feet. Divide by 1,000 (point off three places) to find the number of thousand cubic feet in the room.

For example, a room 10 feet square and 10 feet high contains 1,000 cubic feet. Use 64 ounces crystals of potassium permanganate for each 1,000 cubic feet of room space, or 10 ounces when the temperature is below 60 degrees F. Over these pour 16 ounces of 40 per cent aqueous solution of formaldehyde (formalin) for each 1,000 cubic feet of room space, or 24 ounces when the temperature is below 60 degrees F. Thoroughly seal the room from within so as to prevent the escape of the gas until disinfection has been accomplished. Carefully close all windows and doors except one door for exit. Leave the windows unlocked so that they may be opened from without. Securely paste wet strips of paper over all registers, transoms, keyholes and cracks above, beneath and at the sides of windows and doors, over stove holes and all openings in walls, ceilings and floor.

Use several thicknesses of paper if the openings are large. Gummed paper put up in rolls is made for this purpose. Or adhesive surgeon's plaster may be used. But common newspaper cut into narrow strips will do. It should be thoroughly wet with the Standard Solution No. 3 or No. 5 (bichloride 1:500 or formaldehyde 5 per cent), in order to disinfect the surfaces upon which it is used. Soft soap may be used for pasting paper strips so that they may later be easily washed off. Or use paperhanger's paste, which may be prepared, and afterwards removed, by methods described elsewhere in this volume. After the strips are in place go over them on the outside with the brush dipped in the paste so as to wet them thoroughly.

Stop up the fire place with a sheet of tin or zinc and paste strips of paper around the edges. Or securely paste large sheets of heavy wrapping paper over the opening so that they cannot be displaced by the draft.

There must be no opening through which gas can escape.