(b) When vacated:—
Fumigate with sulphur dioxide as described in the next paragraph.
A pleasant disinfectant for rooms is 20 parts camphor, 50 each hypochlorite of lime, alcohol, and water, 1 each eucalyptus and clove oils. The ingredients must be mixed slowly in a spacious vessel kept cool. A few drops on a plate will suffice to disinfect a chamber pleasantly.
Carbolic acid, when combined with water and boiled, evaporates with the steam in a constant ratio, and the steam contains the same relative quantity of the acid as the water from which it evaporates. Pour 20-40 drops of a mixture of equal parts turpentine and carbolic acid into a kettle of water, which keep simmering over a slow fire, so that the air of the sick room will be constantly impregnated with the odour. An excellent vaporiser for disinfecting purposes is made by Savory and Moore.
To purify the air in a sickroom, place in the bed a small basket or other porous article, containing wood charcoal, for the purpose of absorbing the foul air which, if diffused throughout the surrounding atmosphere, would be constantly returned to the lungs.
In a sickroom in which infants are sleeping, put a box or basket containing a piece of quicklime and some wood charcoal, for the purpose of fixing the carbonic acid exhaled from the lungs, and of absorbing all the foul air generated in the system, and given off by exhalation from the skin or otherwise.
Cellars, yards, stables, gutters, privies, cesspools, water-closets, drains, sewers, &c., should be frequently and liberally treated with copperas (sulphate of iron) solution. The copperas solution is easily prepared by hanging a basket containing about 60 lb. copperas in a barrel of water, or say 1½ lb. per gal. It stains linen.
Another good solution is made thus. Dissolve ½ dr. nitrate of lead in 1 pint boiling water; dissolve 2 dr. common salt in a pail of cold water. Pour the two solutions together, and allow the sediment to subside. Areas, dustbins, heaps of refuse, w.c.’s, or close rooms are all alike benefited by this mixture, which has the advantage of being without smell. Cloths dipped in the solution and hung up in a room will sweeten a fetid atmosphere immediately. It is cheap, nitrate of lead being procurable at about 6d. a lb.
Rheumatism.—This common ailment is essentially due to damp or being chilled. One of the easiest and most satisfactory means of treatment is to apply a flannel bandage, pretty tightly, round the chest, in order to restrain the movements of the chest wall. Soothing liniments may also be laid on the side, such as belladonna and chloroform liniments, mixed in equal proportions, or the liniment of turpentine, or cajeput oil mixed with olive oil. Some of the popular domestic remedies for lumbago (rheumatism in the back), are not to be despised, such as ironing with a hot smoothing iron (with the interposition of a double layer of flannel between the skin and the iron), the efficacy of which is heightened by wrapping the flannel round the hot iron, and moistening the flannel with vinegar. The iron, thus guarded, is left in contact with the skin for ¼ minute, at various points. Another good remedy is the application of turpentine, effected by taking a doubled piece of flannel, say 12-14 in. long by 8-10 in. wide, and dipping it into boiling water. It is then wrung firmly, and turpentine is sprinkled liberally over it. This is applied to the loins, and kept on for 20-30 minutes. When removed, cotton-wool is applied to the skin. At the outset a strong effective purge ought to be taken.