1880.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOUR^'AL. 



215 



Carbolic acid in a proportion of 

 5.0: 1,000. 



3. As antiseptics — wholly destroy- 

 ing all living l)acteria : — 

 Scatol in the proportion of 



0.5 : 1,000 in 24 hours. 

 Hydrocinnamic acid in the pro- 

 portion of 0.8: 1,000 in 24 

 hours. 

 Phenylacetic acid in a saturated 

 solution (1.0 : 400) immediate- 



Indol in a saturated solution 

 (1.0 : 900) in 24 hours. 



Kresol in the porportion of 

 5.0 : 1,000 in 24 hours. 



Carbolic acid in the proportion 

 of 20.0 : 1,000 immediately. 



It is surprising that carbolic acid, 

 the favorite antiseptic, is the weakest 

 on the list. 



" These facts seem to justify us 

 in looking for specilic desinfectants 

 and prophylactics among the aro- 

 matic products of chemical decom- 

 position. They also give a strong 

 air of plausibility to the theory that 

 the bacteria produce, through the 

 chemical changes of which they are 

 the direct cause, the most effective 

 substances that can be used to de- 

 stroy them. The idea is logically 

 deducible from the theory that the 

 germs of disease finally produce 

 their own destruction by the opera- 

 tion of their growth and develop- 

 ment, and helps us to comprehend 

 the cyclical course which is charac- 

 teristic of most infectious diseases. 



Cleaning Diatoms by Mr. Gr. C. 

 Morris' Method. 



I have no doubt that many who 

 read Mr. Galloway C. Morris' ar- 

 ticle on page 38 of the American 

 Monthly Microscopical Journal 

 wished, like myself, that platinum 

 ware did not cost three cents per 

 grain, or else that some cheap sub- 



stitute could be devised. Now I 

 wish to say that ordinary porcelain 

 gallipots are a perfect substitute for 

 the expensive platinum crucible. 

 In my experiments, I liave used the 

 smallest size ; about an inch high 

 by the same in diameter. Mix your 

 material with the bi sulphate of 

 potash as directed in Mr. Morris' 

 article, fill your gallipot between a 

 quarter and half full, and set it 

 down in the glowing coals in tlie 

 stove. The bisulphate immediately 

 begins to fuse and boils up as black 

 as pitch. If the pot is not too full 

 it will not boil over but rises up 

 and sinks back again and again 

 until as the sides of the pot begin 

 to be red, the boiling mass becomes 

 clear and the bottom of the vessel 

 is seen glowing hot through it. 

 When the boiling ceases, lift out 

 the pot and let it cool, and dissolve 

 the grayish white mass in the bot- 

 tom, as directed by Mr. Morris. 



This idea of using cheap appara- 

 tus does not in the least detract 

 from the credit due to Mr. Morris, 

 who is certainly entitled to the 

 thanks of every diatomist for de- 

 vising a method as effective and 

 certainly far easier than the com- 

 plicated process of boiling Iti acids. 

 A. L. Woodward. 



Syracuse, N. Y. 



EDITORIAL. 



— Subscribers are requested to 

 read the " Announcement " of the 

 Journal for 1881, which is pub- 

 lished in our advertising pages. 

 Judging from the present prospects 

 this Journal is destined to occupy 

 the field of microscopy in this 

 country, as the recognized authori- 

 tative periodical devoted to that 

 subject. There may be a seml)lance 

 of conceit about this assertion, but 

 we have now reason to believe that 



