76 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. IV, No. I 



this was not evident, so it appeared that the coloring matter of the tan- 

 ning Hquid had covered up this discoloration. 



Judged solely by the results of the various experiments previously de- 

 scribed, it might seem that the Seymour-Jones method could be accepted 

 as suitable for the disinfection of hides, provided that mercuric chlorid 

 in a strength of i to 2,500 was substituted for the recommended dilution 

 of I to 5,000. However, at this stage the writer's attention was called 

 to the work of Sevcik (14), which appeared to controvert the favorable 

 results obtained by various workers as well as his own previous results. 

 Sevcik concluded that it is necessary to carefully neutralize the dis- 

 infectant before attempting, either by cultural methods or animal 

 inoculation, to ascertain whether anthrax spores have been destroyed, 

 and that the hydrogen-sulphid solution used for a short time is not 

 sufficient to neutralize mercuric chlorid plus formic acid. The neutral- 

 izing agent which he recommended was sodium sulphid, which neutralizes 

 both the mercury and the acid. The time which he allowed for the neu- 

 tralizing process was two hours. 



SevCik's contention that the mercuric chlorid and formic acid used in 

 the Seymour-Jones method should be neutralized by sodium sulphid in 

 order to determine whether disinfection has been complete seemed rea- 

 sonable in view of the fact that many tanners use sodium sulphid for 

 dehairing hides; therefore, in order to verify his conclusions, the follow- 

 ing experiments were undertaken. 



IV. EXPERIMENTS UPON PIECES OF HIDE INFECTED BY SPORES OF ARMY MEDICAL 

 SCHOOL STRAIN OP BACILLUS ANTHRACIS WITH SODIUM SULPHID AS A NEUTRALIZING 

 AGENT 



Pieces of hide were exposed to 25 c. c. of disinfectant for 24 hours, 

 treated with 25 c. c. of saturated solution of sodium chlorid for one hour 

 and with 25 c. c. of a i per cent sodium-sulphid solution for two hours. 

 They were then washed with sterile water. 



In experiment 14 (Table VII) the clots were scraped off and inoculated 

 into guinea pigs. 



Table VII. — Inoculation 0/ guinea pigs with clots from ivfected pieces of hide 



EXPERIMENT 14 



Guinea 



pig No. 



25522 

 25523 

 25524 

 25525 

 25526 

 25527 

 25528 



25529 



Disinfectant (25 c. c.) and dilution. 



Mercuric chlorid (i;i,ooo)-f formic acid (i per cent) . 



Do 



Mercuric chlorid (i:2,soo)+fonnic acid (i per cent) . 



Do 



Mercuric chlorid (i:4,ooo)+fonnicacid (i percent). 



Do 



Sodium chlorid followed by sodium sulphid. No 

 disinfectant. 



Do 



o Not exposed 



Time of I 

 exposure. 



C) 

 (a) 



Result of inoculation. 



Died in 3K days. Anthrax. 

 Lived. 



Do. 

 Died in ^^ days. Anthrax. 

 Died. Mixed infection. 

 Died in 4 days. Anthrax. 

 Died in 3 days. Anthrax. 



Died. Mixed infection. 



