Summary of the Experiments made by Dr J. Dougall, and by Dr Crace
Calvert, on the action of various Antiseptics on Protoplasmic and
Fungus Life, and on Vaccine Lymph.
KEY: A - Quantity required to prevent Animalcules in six days. B - Number of Days before Life appeared in a solution containing 1 of substance in 500 water and 1⁄2 drachm of following— C - Number of Days before Vibrio Life appeared in a solution of Albumen containing 1 of substance in 1000 of solution. D - Beef Juice. E - Sol. of Egg Albumen. F - Reaction of the Solution. G - Infusion of Hay. 1 part in— H - Human Urine. 1 part in— I - Beef Juice and Egg Albumen. 1 part in— J - Average of all. 1 part in— K - Effect on Animalcules in Putrid Beef Juice and Egg Albumen, when added in proportion in third column. L - Animalcules. M - Fungi. N - Animalcules. O - Fungi. P - Effect of the Vapour or Gas during 24 hrs. on Vaccine Lymph. Q - Animalcules. R - Putrid Odour. S - Fungi. T - Mouldy Odour.
| Substances used. | EXPERIMENTS MADE BY DR JOHN DOUGALL, OF GLASGOW. | EXPERIMENTS BY DR CRACE CALVERT. | |||||||||||||
| F | A | K | B | P | C | ||||||||||
| G | H | I | J | D | E | Q | R | S | T | ||||||
| L | M | N | O | ||||||||||||
| Acids. | |||||||||||||||
| Mineral. | |||||||||||||||
| Sulphurous | Acid. | 250 | 50 | 50 | 117 | Death. | 24 | 4 P. | 8 | Over 100 | Killed. | 11 | Over 40 | 21 | Over 40 |
| Nitric | ” | 400 | 400 | 200 | 333 | ” | 18 | 4 P. | 15 | 5 T. | ” | 10 | 50 | 10 | 23 |
| Hydrochloric | ” | 500 | 400 | 100 | 333 | ” | 28 | 4 P. | 9 | Over 100 | ” | — | — | — | — |
| Sulphuric | ” | 800 | 500 | 100 | 467 | ” | Over 100 | Over 100 | 30 | 10 T. | — | 9 | — | 9 | 11 |
| Chromic | ” | 4000 | 1400 | 1200 | 2200 | — | 78 | 38 P. | Over 100 | Over 100 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Organic. | |||||||||||||||
| Carbolic | Neutral. | 300 | 300 | 200 | 267 | None. | 12 | 50 T. | 38 | 36 P. | None. | Over 40 | Over 40 | Over 40 | Over 40 |
| Cresylic | ” | — | — | — | — | ” | — | — | — | — | ” | ” | ” | ” | ” |
| Acetic | Acid. | 350 | 25 | 10 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | Killed. | 30 | — | 9 | 50 |
| Picric | ” | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | Death. | 44 | 11 P. | Over 100 | 44 P. | — | 17 | Over 40 | 19 | Over 40 |
| Benzoic | ” | 700 | 700 | 200 | 533 | ” | Over 100 | Over 100 | ” | Over 100 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alkalies. | |||||||||||||||
| Lime | Alk. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 19 | Over 40 | Over 40 |
| Potash | ” | 300 | 50 | 10 | 120 | Death. | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — |
| Soda | ” | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 31 | 18 | 29 |
| Ammonia | ” | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | 50 | 20 | Over 40 |
| Haloids. | |||||||||||||||
| Iodine tincture | Neutral. | 400 | 400 | 50 | 283 | Death. | 1 | 80 T. | 15 | Over 100 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chlorine gas | Acid. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Killed. | 7 | 21 | 21 | — |
| Chloride lime | Alk. | 200 | 200 | 25 | 142 | Death. | 27 | 27 T. | 40 | Over 100 | ” | 7 | 18 | 16 | — |
| Chloride zinc | Acid. | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | ” | 4 | Over 100 | 18 | ” | — | Over 40 | Over 40 | 50 | Over 40 |
| Chloride aluminum | ” | 2000 | 500 | 300 | 933 | — | 19 | 4 P. | Over 100 | 8 P. | — | 10 | ” | 21 | 50 |
| Sulphates, &c. | |||||||||||||||
| Bisulphite lime | Acid. | 100 | 50 | 25 | 58 | Death. | 4 | 92 T. | 9 | Over 100 | — | 11 | 21 | 14 | Over 40 |
| Sulphate zinc | ” | 300 | 300 | 200 | 267 | ” | 30 | 4 P. | 90 | 70 P. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sulphate iron | ” | 500 | 500 | 100 | 367 | ? | 14 | 5 T. | 35 | 40 T. | — | 7 | Over 40 | 15 | — |
| Common alum | ” | 800 | 500 | 100 | 467 | — | 14 | 3 P. | 38 | 15 T. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sulphate copper | ” | 1000 | 1000 | 800 | 933 | Death. | 86 | 20 P. | Over 100 | Over 100 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Permanganate potash | Neutral. | 500 | 200 | 125 | 275 | None. | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 50 | 22 | Over 40 |
| Alcohol | ” | 350 | 50 | 20 | 140 | Death. | 4 | 4 T. | 10 | Over 100 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Camphor | ” | 300 | 150 | 50 | 167 | None. | — | — | — | — | None. | — | — | — | — |
| Turpentine | ” | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | Over 40 | 42 | Over 40 |
Note.—In the first set of Dr John Dougall’s experiments 3 drachms of a solution of the strength mentioned were treated with 1 drachm of a filtered infusion of hay, or with half a drachm of urine or half a drachm of the mixture of beef juice and egg-albumen. In the second set of experiments equal parts of a putrid solution of beef juice and egg-albumen, full of living animalcules, and of the solution of the various substances of the strength known to be preventive of life (as in third column), were mixed together, and the results immediately noted. In the third set of experiments 31⁄2 drachms of distilled water, containing 1 in 500 of the substances named, were treated with half a drachm of filtered beef juice, or half a drachm of a solution consisting of 1 part white of egg to 4 parts water. In the last set of experiments, separate minims of vaccine lymph were exposed to the several vapours for 24 hours, and the dried spot in each case was moistened with glycerin and water, and sealed in a capillary tube until an opportunity for vaccination occurred, when the whole of the diluted lymph was used in one insertion so as to ensure its full effect.
In Dr Crace Calvert’s experiments, 0·026 of a gramme of the substance was added to 26 grammes (1 to 1000) of a solution of albumen containing 1 part white of egg to 4 parts pure distilled water.
The Animalcules observed were Monads (microphymes), Vibrios, and their cell segments (microerphymes), Bacteria (microzymes), Amœba, &c.; and the Fungi were Torula, Mycelium, Penicilium, &c., indicated in Table by letters T and P. Putrefaction was always characterised by a putrid odour, an alkaline reaction, and the presence of animalcules; whereas Mouldiness and Fermentation were distinguished by a mouldy or musty odour, an acid reaction, and the presence of Fungi.
14. Larmande’s Antimephetic Liquor. A solution of the sulphates of zinc and copper.
15. Thymol. From experiments made with this substance it appears to be a very powerful and valuable antiseptic, and likely, because of its non-poisonous and non-irritant qualities, to supplant carbolic acid in various branches of surgical practice, in which this latter agent has hitherto been employed; such, for example, as a dressing for wounds, ulcers, and as a topical application for certain skin eruptions, &c. Its difficult solubility and price (spite of its much greater antiseptic power), however, for the present at any rate, preclude it from being made available as an ordinary common disinfectant, as this term is generally understood. See Thymol.
16. Silicate of Soda. It is stated that this salt has considerable anti-putrefactive powers.
17. Aluminised Charcoal. This is recommended by Dr Stenhouse as a cheap and very efficient decolorising agent. It is made by dissolving in water 54 parts of the sulphate of alumina of commerce in water, and mix it with 921⁄2 parts of finely powdered wood charcoal. When the charcoal is saturated it is evaporated to dryness, and heated to redness in covered Hessian crucibles till the water and acid are dissipated. The charcoal contains 71⁄2 per cent. of anhydrous alumina.