68 BACTERIOLOGY. 



between the disinfectant and the organisms to be de- 

 stroyed is much more energetic at a temperature of 37 

 to 39 C. than it is at 12 to 15 C. 



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, where there is constantly 

 more or less of infectious material, it is the custom, 

 with few exceptions, to keep vessels containing solu- 

 tions of corrosive sublimate at hand, into which in- 

 fectious materials may be placed. The value of this 

 procedure, as we have just learned, may be more or 

 less questionable, especially in those cases in which the 

 substance to be disinfected is of a proteid nature and 



