That disease is often conveyed by means of books in a public lending library seems beyond doubt. For some time Dr. John S. Billings, director of the New York Library, has been experimenting in order to discover a perfect disinfectant. Last year Mr. Horton, under Dr. Billings’s direction, conducted a series of experiments in the latter’s laboratory in Philadelphia. A number of old Patent Office reports were inoculated with a choice assortment of bacteria, and in a short time the books were full of germs of measles, scarlet fever, smallpox, and other diseases. Trials were then made of various germ-destroying substances, and as result of the experiments Dr. Billings says that he has a perfect disinfectant in the gas formaldehyde. The volume is placed in a glass or metal box, with a saucerful of a solution of formalin in water and left for an hour two. At the end of that time the vapour has penetrated into every particle of the book, and not a live germ can found. It is stated that formalin will also destroy the Croton bug. responsible for the ruin of so many fine buildings. The traditional bookworm is now a rarity in America, but the Croton bug has taken its place. (Croton = cockcroach)
5 April= publication date for THE GIRL BACK HOME in e and print formats. You still have until 14 April to enter the free Goodreads Giveaway of the print version.