1891.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 163 



Antiseptic Memoranda. — In measure, as our knowledge of anti- 

 septics wiilens, the tact becomes more evident that each disinfecting 

 agent has its special province, and each micro-organism its peculiar 

 antagonists. One substance alone, namely, corrosive sublimate, is 

 known as a universal microbicide ; but its highly poisonous properties 

 and other reasons render the substitution of other antiseptics often de- 

 sirable. Hence the necessity of a better insight into the exact behavior 

 of each antiseptic with the different germs of diseases. An important 

 contribution to this branch of science has just been made by Drs. Thoi- 

 not and Masselin, who have just completed a thorough investigation of 

 the efficacy of sulphurous acid gas as an antiseptic. It should be ex- 

 plained that the experimenters, both skilled and well-trained gentlemen, 

 had at their disposal the resources of the Pasteur Institute micro- 

 biological laboratory and the use of some vacant wards at the Charity 

 Hospital. Owing to some of these facilities they were enabled to pro- 

 cure or prepare the various septic agents ; to test their virulence before 

 and after exposure to sulphurous gas ; to conduct the disinfecting oper- 

 ation under conditions closely similar to those of current practice, 

 and, in fine, to bring into play all the nice exactness now indispensa- 

 ble in scientific researches that are to stand the fire of modern criti- 

 cisms. 



The following were the viruses tested; (a) Pasteur's septic vibrio; 

 (6) bacterial or symptomatic charbon ; (c) bacteridial charbon ; {d) 

 tuberculosis; (e) glanders; (/) typhoid fever; {£■) diphtheria; (//) 

 Asiatic cholera ; and (/) Guadaloupe farcy. Each virus was simply ex- 

 posed to the sulphurous acid in a room of fifty cubic metres capacity, 

 tightly closed with putty. The gas was evolved in various proportions, 

 but the quantity of sulphur consumed noted in all cases. Now as to the 

 results : (a) septic vibrio, or Pasteur's septiciemia, was tried under four 

 forms — that is, as bouillon culture, dried culture, serous discharge from 

 a septica;mic guinea-pig, and septic powder. The last, obtained by 

 drying the discharge to the shape of varnish on a glass plate and pow- 

 dering, is exceedingly virulent. Sulphurous acid gas proved, even in 

 large proportions, utterly powerless in all cases, {d) Symptomatic and 

 (c) bacteridial charbon remained unaffected, as a rule, though large 

 proportions of sulphur fumes continued for forty-eight hours will occa- 

 sionally have some effect, (of) Tuberculosis in cultures supplied by 

 Professor Nocard, and in the form of sputa, fresh and dried. In all 

 cases Koch's bacillus was found to have been destroyed by a twenty-four 

 hours' exposure to the fumes, in the proportion of 6o grammes of sul- 

 phur to the cubic meter (28 grains to the cubic foot). Even in the most 

 refractory form, the sputa, the bacillus will be killed, but the full dose 

 of sulphur is necessary, (c) Glanders; cultures of full virulence will 

 be destroyed after twenty-four hours' exposure to the fumes of 60, and 

 even 50 or 40 grammes (28, 23, and 19 grains) of sulphur to the 

 cubic foot. {J") Typhoid fever ; cultui^es of Eberth's bacillus from the 

 morbid spleen. Complete destruction after twenty-four hours with 60 

 grammes of sulphur. (^) Diphtheria ; cultures supplied by Dr. Roux. 

 After twenty-four hours and 60 grammes of sulphur all Klebs' bacilli 

 were entirely destroyed. (^) Asiatic cholera ; the only cultures pro- 

 curable being rather old, the proof cannot be said to be quite satisfac- 

 factory, yet the bacilli were easily affected by even small doses of sul- 



