ACTION OF BLOOD SERUM AND OTHER ORGANIC LIQUIDS. 



him to the conclusion that the germicidal power of fresh blood 

 serum depends upon the presence of some albuminous body present 

 in it. This view is sustained by the researches of Ogata, who has 

 obtained from the blood of dogs and other animals a glycerin ex- 

 tract of a "ferment" which is insoluble in alcohol or in ether and 

 which has germicidal properties. 



According to Emmerich and Tsuboi (1893), when the serum- 

 albumin is precipitated by alcohol, dried in a vacuum at 40 C., and 

 dissolved in water it has no longer any germicidal activity. But if 

 the precipitated and dried albumin is dissolved at 3 ( J C. in a weak 

 solution (0.05-0.08 per cent) of soda or potash it recovers its original 

 germicidal value. 



It has been demonstrated by several experimenters that other 

 albuminous fluids possess a similar germicidal power. Thus Nuttall 

 found that a pleuritic exudation from man destroyed the anthrax 

 bacillus in an hour, the aqueous humor of a rabbit in two hours. 

 Wurz has experimented with fresh egg albumin, and found that the 

 anthrax bacillus failed to grow after having been exposed for an hour 

 to the action of albumin from a hen's egg ; other bacteria tested 

 were not killed so promptly, but a decided germicidal action was 

 manifested. Prudden has shown that the albuminous fluid obtained 

 from a hydrocele, or from the abdominal cavity in ascites, possesses 

 similar germicidal power ; and Fokker has demonstrated that fresh 

 milk destroys the vitality of certain bacteria which induce an acid 

 fermentation of this fluid. 



The results heretofore referred to induced Hankin to experiment 

 with cell globulin obtained from the spleen or lymphatic glands of a 

 dog or cat. This is extracted by means of a solution of chloride of 

 sodium, the solution is filtered, and the globulin precipitated by the 

 addition of alcohol. The precipitate is washed and again dissolved 

 in salt solution. The result showed that this cell globulin possesses 

 germicidal power similar to that of blood serum. 



Mucus. The experiments of Wurtz and Lermoyez (1893) show 

 that nasal mucus has germicidal properties, especially for the anthrax 

 bacillus. Walthard (1893), in experiments with mucus from the cer- 

 vix uteri, was not able to demonstrate any germicidal action, but 

 arrived at the conclusion that it prevents the development of bacteria 

 simply because it is an unfavorable medium. Various bacteria were 

 planted upon the surface of cervical mucus in Petri dishes, and placed 

 in the incubating oven, but all failed to grow. 



Nucleins from animal and vegetable cells have been shown by 

 Professor Vaughan and his associates (1893) to possess considerable 

 germicidal power. The nucleins of animal origin were obtained from 

 the testes of dogs and rats. Dissolved in a 0.5-per-cent solution of 



