ESSENTIAL OILS, ETC. 199 



tile oils. A large number of essential oils tested were found to pre- 

 vent the development of the anthrax bacillus, while a few did not. 

 At the end of six days the tubes were opened and the oil absorbed by 

 the culture liquid allowed to evaporate. Cultures were now obtained 

 from all except the following, which, it was inferred, had destroyed 

 the vitality of the spores : Angelica, cinnamon of China, cinnamon 

 of Ceylon, geranium of France, geranium of Algeria, origanum. 



Cadeac and Meunier have also made extended experiments upon 

 the typhoid bacillus and the bacillus of glanders, for the purpose of 

 determining the germicidal power of agents of this class. Their 

 method consisted in the introduction of a sterilized platinum needle 

 into a pure culture of the test organism, in immersing it in the 

 essential oil for a certain time, and then making with it a puncture 

 in a suitable solid culture medium. Their results are given below 

 for the typhoid bacillus. 



Essences which kill the bacillus after a contact of less than 

 twenty-four hours : 



At the end of 



Cinnamon of Ceylon, . . . . .12 minutes. 



Cloves, ...... 25 



Eugenol, ....... 30 



Thyme, ...... 35 



Wild thyme, . 35 



Verbena of India, ..... 45 



Geranium of France, . . . . .50 



Origanum, ...... 75 



Patchouly, ...... 80 



Zedoary, ...... 2 hours. 



Absinthe 4 u 



Sandal wood, . . . . . . 12 " 



The following were effective in from twenty-four to forty-eight 

 hours: Cumin, caraway, juniper, matico, galbanum, valerian, citron, 

 angelica, celery, savin, copaiba, pepper, turpentine, opoponax, rose, 

 chamomile ; the following required from two to four days: Illicium, 

 sassafras, tuberose, coriander; the following from four to eight days: 

 Calamus, sage, fennel, mace, cascarilla, orange of Portugal; the fol- 

 lowing in eight to ten days : Mint, nutmeg, rosemary, carrot, mus- 

 tard, anise, onion, marjoram, bitter almonds, cherry laurel, myrtle, 

 lavender, eucalyptus, cedar, cajuput, wintergreen, camphor. 



Riedlin reports as the result of his experiments that the essential 

 oils which have the greatest antiseptic value are oil of lavender, eu- 

 calyptus, rosemary, and cloves. 



Eucalyptol. Chabaunes and Perret found that a five-per-cent 

 solution of eucalyptol is without effect upon tubercle bacilli in spu- 

 tum. According to Behring, eucalyptol is about four times less ac- 

 tive as a disinfectant than carbolic acid. * 



