TABLE OF CONTENTS 



PAGE 



FOREWORD 5 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 7 



INTRODUCTION _ i) 



PART I 



THE PROBLEM OF THE LOGARITHMIC 

 ORDER OF DEATH IN BACTERIA 



I. The Order of Death 13 



II. Order of Death in Multicellular Versus Unicel- 



lular Organisms 20 



III. The Cause of the Logarithmic Order of Death.. 28 



The Deathrate Constant 28 



Explanations of the Logarithmic Order 31 



Mass Law and Single Molecules 37 



IV. Conditions Resulting in a Non-Logarithmic Or- 



der of Death 42 



Cell Clusters and Chain Formation.. 42 



The Effect of the Age of the Cell 42 



The Order of Death in the Case of Low Death- 

 rates 47 



The Order of Death of Other Unicellular Organ- 

 isms 49 



Unexplained Deviations from the Logarithmic 

 Order 51 



V. Biological Consequences of the Logarithmic Or- 

 der of Death 54 



Importance of the Number of Individuals 54 



Selection of Resistant Strains 56 



Protection of Living by Dead Cells 58 



PART II 



MODE OF ACTION OF DISINFECTANTS AND 

 ANTISEPTICS 



I. DISINFECTANTS 



I. Selectivity of Disinfectants 63 



II. Concentration and Death Rate... 66 



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