Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/167

Rh small objects an operation similar to that used in the treatment of tapestries is followed. A box is made of zinc carefully soldered together at the sides so as to be perfectly tight. Around the top a gutter is arranged, while inside is a wooden rack raised a few inches from the bottom of the box. A cover is provided which fits down into the gutter at the top of the box. A saucer of carbon disulphide is set in, the rack put in place with the object to be disinfected upon it, and the cover is put on. Then water is poured into the gutter so that no air can penetrate the box. This forms a fairly tight chamber in which the object to be disinfected must remain from one to two weeks according to its condition. If it is given long enough the eggs as well as the living worms will be destroyed. If the vacuum apparatus described above under textiles is used the time needed for this process is much shorter.

Many museums have used the "petroleum bath" with varying success. It seems to have been demonstrated that to thoroughly soak a piece of furniture in petroleum will kill the worms. The petroleum does not, however, kill the eggs and the process has frequently to be repeated. There are many disadvantages in this. In the first place the petroleum gives a very disagreeable odor in the exhibition galleries; secondly, the object