INJECTION OF CARBOLIC ACID. 303 



will be destroyed, and this without that concerned in 

 the healthy physiological changes being seriously 

 damaged. Nay, is it not probable that some of 

 our remedies really do act in this manner ? It is 

 well known that large quantities of chloride of sodium 

 exist wherever bioplasm is growing rapidly ; and it 

 appears to me probable that the beneficial action of 

 iodide of potassium and some other salts may be 

 explained, if we suppose that the chloride is driven 

 out and its place occupied by the iodide, which latter 

 salt does not favour the growth of the morbid bio- 

 plasm, the rapid increase of which constitutes the 

 local change we are endeavouring to check. The mor- 

 bid bioplasm, deprived of one of the substances neces- 

 sary for its increase, ceases to grow, and is soon 

 destroyed when the products resulting from its death 

 are removed, and the cure is complete. With regard 

 to acting practically upon the foregoing suggestions, 

 I would remark that it occurred to Mr. Crookes, when 

 studying the cattle plague, that, as he could so success- 

 fully attack and destroy the floating disease germs by 

 atmospheric disinfectants, he might so be able to neu- 

 tralise the virus in the blood by the introduction into 

 it of appropriate antiseptics, Dr. De Ricci, Professor 

 Polli, Dr. McDowell, Dr. Waters, and others had advan- 

 tageously used in this way sulphites and bisulphites as 

 prophylactics and cures in zymotic diseases. The in- 

 jection into the blood of carbolic acid (4 per cent, solu- 

 tion) was tried on an animal having cattle plague ; 



