Sanitation by electricity : report II upon the manufacture of electrolysed salt water (chloride of sodium and chloride of magnesium) for disinfecting purposes : dealing principally with its stability, bacteriological results, some expert opinions, and cost of production / by Fredk. Wm. Alexander.

  • Poplar (London, England)
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Sanitation by electricity : report II upon the manufacture of electrolysed salt water (chloride of sodium and chloride of magnesium) for disinfecting purposes : dealing principally with its stability, bacteriological results, some expert opinions, and cost of production / by Fredk. Wm. Alexander. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    STABILITY. “ It retains its oxidising properties for a considerable time, but a gradual diminution in strength takes place, as is illustrated in the following results obtained at varying times with the same sample :— Analysis 3. Original strength equal to ... 0'60 gramme Cl per litre Next day 0.594 „ „ Eight days 0-523 „ „ Twelve days 0-501 „ „ The sample referred to above was kept in an ordinary stop- pered Winchester quart bottle, but the same sample stored in a carboy of ten gallons capacity showed at the end of twelve days a strength of 0 459 gramme Cl per litre. It is well to point out in this connexion that in the event of the system being applied to the needs of a large town the electrolysed fluid need not be stored, because the yield of liquor could be adjusted exactly to meet the daily demand, so that loss from storage would be obviated. The loss, however, in a few days appears to be small.”* —Lancet Commission. “ Stable as Hermibe fluid of good strength by itself is, it undergoes rapid diminution in chlorine strength when diluted with sea water.”—Lancet Commission. “Although Hermite fluid may be diluted, without losing strength, with tap zvater, yet sea water could never be used as a diluent, since it rapidly reduces the strength of the solution ; and, secondly, that a considerable part of the energy spent in the electrolysis of sea water must first be appropriated by certain constituents (probably organic) which exist in fresh sea water. Further, electrolysed sea water increases in stability in proportion to its strength, and vice versa; solutions below 0-25 Cl per litre rapidly lose oxidising power.”—Lancet Commission. The proposed Electrolyzed Disinfecting Fluid will not be made from sea water, but from a solution containing Chloride of Sodium and Chloride of Magnesium, which is far more stable than sea ivater, owing to the presence of organic matter contained in the latter. Moreover, if it be necessary to store the fluid made from Chloride of Sodium and Chloride of Magnesium, M. Hermite has informed me of a chemical which can be added to preserve the stability of the solution indefinitely and I may also add I have from another source obtained the like information. * This refers to electrolysed sea water the stability of which is not coefficient with electrolysed artificial brine.