meters of beef extract solution which had been 

 richly inoculated with bacteria from decayed 

 teeth. Arnold, Lancet (London, 1907) re- 

 ports similar experiences with some of the most 

 virulent types of infective bacteria. 



Both nicotine and its derivative pyridine as 

 well as the tarry oils resulting from tobacco 

 distillation are strong and effective disinfect- 

 ants ; and formaldehyde, one of the most power- 

 ful germicides known, is so formed. Trillat, 

 Annales de VInstitut Pasteur (Paris), Vol. 19, 

 p. 722, shows that 100 grams of pipe tobacco 

 will yield .063 grams and 100 grams weight of 

 cigar .118 grams of formaldehyde. Also that 

 a dilution of 1/1000 formaldehyde is germicidal 

 to all bacteria although it has very little dele- 

 terious effects on man. 



** As far as can be ascertained there has not 

 been very much investigation for the purpose of 

 demonstrating the actual results of clinical ex- 

 perience regarding the antiseptic qualities of 

 tobacco in the case of smokers, but facts, so 

 far as they have been recorded, bear out the 

 experiments. Rideal Disinfection and Preser- 

 vation of Food (London and New York, 1903) 

 states that the investigations of Tessarini 

 showed that tobacco smoke passed over the or- 

 ganisms of human cholera and pneumonia killed 

 them in from 10 to 30 minutes. He also states 



199 



