334 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Nov 



mineral kingdoms. The cell holds imprisoned within its 

 walls water of combination. The crystal holds within its 

 angles water of crystallization. I do not think any ar- 

 gument is necessary to prove the importance of water as 

 a medium for the action of decay. 



In explanation of the action of many chemical com- 

 pounds, chemistry, to my mind, teaches that many of the 

 acids, alkalies, salts, alcohols and oils are antiseptics or 

 germicides chiefly owing to their relative affinity for 

 water. To say a substance is germicidal because it kills 

 germs is like calling pistols homicidal because they kill 

 men. Such an answer is not sufficiently scientific. How 

 do antiseptics and germicides act as a class ? What are 

 the principles involved ? Bacteria, we have already learn- 

 ed, will not grow on tissues that have been treated with 

 solutions of certain strength of bichloride of mercury, 

 nitrate of silver, chloride of gold, sulphate of copper, 

 chloride of tin, formaldehyde, the essential oils, and 

 many of the alcohols, acids and alkalies. For example, 

 in the treatment of gonorrheal ophthalmia, the cause of 

 as much blindness as any one disease, after having thor- 

 oughly cleansed the eye by repeated douchings of luke- 

 warm sterilized water, there is instilled several drops of 

 a two per cent solution of nitrate of silver, which, if used 

 in time, will suffice to stop the disease. 



How these chemicals act so as to prevent the growth of 

 bacteria is due to their ability to harden albumen and ren- 

 der it insoluble to the action of bacteria ; they were pow- 

 erful in preventing decay just in proportion to their abil- 

 ity to form insoluble albuminates with the various tis- 

 sues of the body. 



How they harden albumen and render it insoluble is ex- 

 plained as follows : Chemistry teaches us that nitrate of 

 silver and the list of germicides already named, likewise 

 alcohol, acids, alkalies and oils, are constantly demanding 

 water. That in many instances when applied to tissues 



