170 



PHARMACEUTICAL BACTERIOLOGY. 



F. So-called Respiratory Antiseptics. There are a great variety of volatile 

 or gaseous substances which are said to act as antiseptics to the respiratory 

 tract when inhaled, as oil of thyme, eucalyptol, oil of eucalyptus, menthol, 

 camphor, euthymol, campho-phenique, mint oil, etc., but their value in this 

 regard is nil. They may have some stimulating effect upon the tissues of 

 the respiratory tract but they do not destroy any germs which may be present 

 upon or within the cells of the respiratory passages. 



The following table taken from the work by Ellis gives the minimum 

 proportion of germicidal activity of well-known disinfectants. The figures 

 indicate the strength of solution necessary to prevent bacterial development 

 when added to substances capable of giving rise to bacterial growth, naming 

 therefore the aseptic strength and not the actively antiseptic strength. The 

 figures are not absolute for reasons which have been fully set forth in the 

 beginning of this chapter. The table is merely a guide to the relative 

 activity of the germicides named. 



1. Very active antiseptics. 



Mercuric iodide, 

 Silver iodide, 

 Hydrogen peroxide, 

 Mercuric chloride, 

 Silver nitrate, 



2. Active antiseptics. 



Osmic acid, 



Chromic acid, 



Chlorine, 



Iodine, 



Chloride of gold, 



Bichloride of platinum, 



Hydrocyanic acid, 



Bromine, 



Copper chloride, 



Thymol, 



Copper sulphate, 



Salicylic acid, 



3. Fair antiseptics 



Potassium bichromate 

 Potassium cyanide, 

 Ammonia, 

 Zinc chloride, 

 Mineral acids, 

 Lead chloride, 

 Nitrate of cobalt, 

 Carbolic acid, 

 Potassium permanganate 



1-40000 

 1-33000 



I-2OOOO 

 I-I4300 

 I-I25OO 



1-6666 

 -5000 

 -4000 

 -4000 

 -4000 



-3333 

 -2500 

 1-1666 

 1-1428 

 1-1340 

 i-iin 



I-IOOO 



1-909 



1-909 



-714 



-526 



-500 

 -500 

 -500 



-333 

 -285 



