A simple method of sterilizing.—­Put the articles (small articles) in an ordinary kitchen steamer; closely cover it and place it over a pot of boiling water.  If you wish you can add two parts of carbonate of sodium to each ninety-eight parts of water.

Germicides are chemicals used to destroy germs.

Disinfectants are chemicals used to arrest and prevent their development. 
These disinfectants should always be fresh.

Carbolic acid is one of the most efficient and most frequently employed 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 the liquid can be poured off.