CHEMICAL STERILIZATION AND DISINFECTION. 93 



The bases, potassium, sodium, lithium, and ammo- 

 nium hydroxide, disinfect according to the degree of 

 their dissociation i. e., corresponding to the concen- 

 tration of their hydroxyl ions in the solution. 



The disinfecting activity of metallic salts is, in gen- 

 eral, less in albuminous fluids than in water. It is 

 probable that this is due to a diminution in the concen- 

 tration of metallic ions in the solution. 



What has been said refers more particularly to the 

 inorganic salts which are employed for this purpose. 

 It is probable that the organic bodies possessing dis- 

 infectant properties owe this power to some such similar 

 reaction, though, as yet, these substances have not been 

 so thoroughly studied in this relation. 



The reaction between the inorganic salts and albu- 

 minous bodies is not selective ; they combine in most 

 instances with any or all protoplasmic bodies present. 

 For this reason the employment of many of the com- 

 moner disinfectants in general practice is a matter of 

 doubtful advantage. For example, the disinfection of 

 excreta, sputum, or blood, containing pathogenic organ- 

 isms, by means of corrosive sublimate, is a procedure 

 of questionable success. The amount of sublimate em- 

 ployed may be entirely used up and rendered inactive 

 as a disinfectant by the ordinary protoplasmic sub- 

 stances present, without having any appreciable effect 

 upon the bacteria which may be in the mass. 



These remarks are introduced in order to guard 

 against the implicit confidence so often placed in the 

 disinfecting value of corrosive sublimate. In many 

 bacteriological laboratories it is the custom to keep at 

 hand vessels containing solutions of corrosive sublimate, 

 into which infectious materials may be placed. The 



