In the country we can never think of disinfecting houses with
sulphurous acid, as the peasants often have but a single room, in
which the beds of the entire family are congregated. Every one knows
that the agglomerations that compose the same department are often
distant from each other and the chief town by from two to three miles
or more. This is usually the case in the departments of Vienne, Haute
Vienne, Indre, etc. To find a disinfecting place in the chief town of
the department is still difficult, and to find one in each of the
hamlets is absolutely impossible. Families in which there are invalids
are obliged to carry clothing and bedding to the chief town to be
disinfected, and to go after them after the expiration of twenty-four
hours. This is not an easy thing to do.

It is easy to understand what difficulties must be met with in many
cases, and so one has to be content to prescribe merely washing, and
bleaching with lime--something that is simple and everywhere accepted,
but insufficient. So, then, disinfection with sulphurous acid, which
is easy in large cities, as was taught by the cholera epidemics of
last year, is often difficult in the country. The objection has always
be made to it, too, that it is of doubtful efficacy. It is not for us
to examine this question here, but there is no doubt that damp steam
alone, under pressure, effects a perfect disinfection, and that if
this mode of disinfection could be applied in the rural districts (as
it can be easily done in cities), the public health would be better
protected in case of an epidemic.

In cities one or more stationary steam stoves can always be arranged;
but in the country movable ones are necessary. From instructions given
by Prof. Brouardel, Messrs. Geneste & Herscher have solved the problem
of constructing such stoves in a few days, and four have been put at