d of
the known chemical disinfectants. It comes to us in the form of white
crystals and dissolves in water, glycerin, or alcohol.

Watery solutions cannot be made stronger than five per cent. Solutions
weaker than this will not destroy all germs, but on account of its
irritating qualities the weaker solutions are employed when used for the
skin and mucous membranes. How to make a five per cent or one to twenty
solution:

A bottle containing the crystals is placed in hot water until they are
melted (or you can buy this dissolved product). Then take one part of the
acid and add it to nineteen parts of boiling water and shake this
vigorously until all has been thoroughly dissolved and mixed. To make a 1,
2, 3 or 4 per cent solution, you take 1/100 or 1/50 or 1/33 or 1/25 of
acid.

Corrosive Sublimate or Bichloride of Mercury.--Tablets can be bought at
any drug store containing the desired strength, and are better to use.
This is a powerful irritant poison and must be used carefully. Tablets of
the strength of 1-1000 and 1-2000 are most often employed for germicide
action. The weaker solutions 1-5,000 or 1-10,000 were used to wash out the
cavities. It is not now used much for that purpose; it stains clothing and
corrodes instruments.

Milk of Lime is considered very valuable and safe to use in vessels to
receive evacuations from the bowels. It should be freshly made or it is
useless. Equal parts should be stirred up with the contents of the bed pan
and this must be let stand at least one hour. This is the best way to
disinfect stools.

To Prepare Milk of Lime.--The milk of lime is made by adding one part of
slaked lime to four parts water.

Chloride of Lime (Chlorinated lime) is also a very good disinfectant. It
has a bad odor and unless it is very fresh, is not reliable.

[626 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

Boric acid disinfectant. This property is not very marked, but it is not
irritating. The standard solution is five per cent. The weaker solutions
are used to clean cavities, for superficial wounds, and to wash out the
bladder.

The standard or saturated solution is made by using one part of the acid
in crystal form to nineteen parts of water; or, this saturated solution
can be easily made by putting a large quantity of the crystals in a filter
and pouring the quantity of boiling water over them slowly until all are
dissolved. Strain the solution to get rid of the excess of crystals or it
can be allowed to cool when th