B. THE PERSISTENCE OF THE ACID
Reaction of Chlorlyptus in the Body
BY THE REFEREE
This “chlorinated ozonized eucalyptus oil” is distinctly acid to litmus paper. It is claimed that further quantities of acid are liberated on contact with water. This is credited with producing a continuous acid reaction on the surface of tissues to which the oil may be applied and this in turn is stated to be antiseptic or germicidal.
This theoretical speculation does not take into account the large quantity of reserve alkali in the body by which it combats attempts to alter its normal reaction. It is therefore not convincing, unless it is supported by direct evidence.
In the absence of such data on the part of the promoters of the preparation, experiments were made to determine whether the oil preserves its acid reaction in contact with mucous and serous membranes. The answers were clearly in the negative.
In the mouth, the reaction becomes neutral within ten or fifteen minutes; in the pleura and peritoneum within half an hour, and probably in much shorter periods.
More detailed data follow:
SERIES A: BEHAVIOR IN THE MOUTH; HOMO
Experiment.—Chlorlyptus and to less extent Chlorlyptus Oil, are acid to litmus. They are applied:
(a) Drop to litmus paper and this to gums.
(b) Several drops directly to tongue.
(c) Same to gums.
The reaction to litmus paper is tried from time to time.
Results.—(a) Applied to gums on litmus paper:
Chlorlyptus: Red color becomes gradually feebler and does not spread on the paper.
Chlorlyptus Oil: Turns blue in a few minutes.
(b) Dropped on tongue:
Chlorlyptus: Acid taste at once. Does not increase, but on contrary, becomes less.
Litmus applied after ten minutes: not acid.
Litmus applied after five minutes: distinctly acid.
(c) Dropped on inside of cheek:
Chlorlyptus, 1⁄3 c.c.: After six minutes, litmus very red.
After ten minutes, faintly red.
After fifteen minutes, blue.
Chlorlyptus Oil, 1 c.c.
After three minutes, faintly red.
After eight minutes, neutral.
Conclusions.—On contact with living tissues, the acid of chlorlyptus is rapidly neutralized and absorbed.
The surface is neutral within ten or fifteen minutes.
It is therefore very improbable that the acidity is effectively antiseptic.
A comparison of chlorlyptus with dilute acetic acid shows that the chlorlyptus does not maintain the acidity even as well as 1 per cent. acetic acid.
| Acetic Acid | Chlorlyptus |
| Tongue, a drop of 5 per cent.; still slightly acid to litmus after ten minutes; taste almost gone in two minutes | Neutral between five and ten minutes |
| Gums, a few drops between cheeks and gums: Five per cent. still strongly acid in twelve minutes; distinctly acid in seventeen minutes. One per cent. still strongly acid in twenty-one minutes | Neutral between ten and fifteen minutes |
CHLORLYPTUS: REACTION (LITMUS PAPER) ON CONTACT WITH TISSUE
| Serial No. | Animal | When Injected | Quantity, C.c. | Time of Death | Blue Litmus | Symptoms or Toxicity |
| 1 | Rat | Pleura | 1 | 1⁄2 hour | Remains blue | None; killed; pleura not congested; lung spec. = 21; slight congestion |
| 2 | Rat | Pleura | Less than 1 | 1 hour | Remains blue | Negative |
| 3 | Rat | Pleura | 1 | 23 min. | Remains blue | Almost at once bad gasping respiration and died in 23 m.; heart distend.; possibly injection penetrated lung |
| Peritoneum | 1 | 23 min. | Turns red | |||
| 4 | Rabbit | Pleura | 1 | ........ | ........ | Died overnight |
| 5 | Dog | Pleura | 1 | 1⁄4 hour | Remains blue 20 m. p. m. | |
| Peritoneum | 1 | 1⁄4 hour | Remains blue 20 m. p. m. | |||
| 6 | Dog | Pleura | 1 | 3 min. | Remains blue 45 m. p. m. | |
| Peritoneum | 1 | 3 min. | Remains blue 45 m. p. m. | |||
| 7 | Dog | Pleura | 1 | 20 min. | Remains blue 20 m. p. m. | |
| Peritoneum | 1 | 20 min. | Remains blue 20 m. p. m. |
SERIES B: SEROUS MEMBRANES
In these experiments, 1 c.c. of chlorlyptus was injected into the pleura or peritoneum. After a stated time, the animal was killed, and the reaction of the pleural or peritoneal surface was tested with blue litmus paper. The results are shown in the table.