18 WOUND TREATMENT 



Hygienic Laboratory Phenol Coefficient 



A method of standardizing^ or testing antiseptics has 

 been developed and described by Anderson and McClin- 

 tic in Bulletin 82 of the Public Health and Marine 

 Hospital Service, Washington, T>. C, known as the 

 "Hygienic Laboratory Phenol Coefficient" method, 

 which takes into account all of the above-mentioned fac- 

 tors. It is sufficient for our purpose at this time merely 

 to state how this method meets these requirements with- 

 out going into the details of laboratory manipulations. 



1. Type of organism used is a twenty-four-hour broth 



culture of B. typhosus (the organism of typhoid 

 fever in a man) 



2. Temperature is 20 degrees Centigrade 



3. Concentrations of various strength 



4. Length of time varies from two and one-half to fifteen 



minutes for each dilution or concentration 



5. Organic matter consisting of two per cent of peptone 



and one per cent of gelatin is used. 



To give more information regarding any given dis- 

 infectant, this method prescribes that its germicidal 

 properties be determined upon typhoid both in the ab- 

 sence and in presence of organic matter. 



For purposes of comparison the results are expressed 

 in figures known as the "hygienic laboratory phenol co- 

 efficient," which simply means the germicidal proper- 

 ties of the disinfectant in question expressed in terms 

 of phenol or carbolic acid, reducing the value of all dis- 

 infectants to a common language or medium of ex- 

 change, so to speak, just as the value of wheat, beef, and 

 gasoline is expressed in terms of dollars and cents rather 

 than expressing the value of a bushel of wheat in pounds 

 of beef, or pounds of beef in gallons of gasoline. The 

 phenol coefficient, then, givei^ you the bactericidal prop- 

 erty of the disinfectant in question compared to phenol. 



