DISINFECTION, STERILIZATION AND ANTISEPSIS. 257 



organisms of anthrax, glanders and the pus cocci were de- 

 stroyed within twenty-four hours by one application. For 

 spore-forming organisms and the bacillus of tuberculosis the 

 power is not so great, the latter organism not being destroyed 

 by three applications of the whitewash. This is due, perhaps, 

 to the large amount of fatty matter in the bacillus of tubercu- 

 losis, and suggests the possibility of enhancing the efficacy of 

 the lime by the addition of a small proportion of caustic alkali. 



Hydrogen Peroxide. — This substance is placed on the mar- 

 ket in solutions varying in strength from lo to 30 volumes; 

 the mode of expression indicating that corresponding solutions 

 will liberate ten to thirty times their volume of oxygen when 

 appropriately treated. It possesses the property of rapidly 

 oxidizing purulent secretions, and on this account is much used 

 for cleansing infected wounds. It deteriorates in strength so 

 rapidly that only fresh solutions of known strength should be 

 used. 



Potassium Permanganate. — Koch asserts that a 3 per cent, 

 solution will destroy anthrax spores in twenty-four hours, but 

 that a I per cent, solution cannot be depended upon to kill 

 pathogenic organisms. Its disinfectant value in practice is 

 very low on account of its ready decomposition by inert ma- 

 terial. In the dilute solutions usually used for medicinal in- 

 jections and irrigations no disinfectant action occurs. 



Iodoform. — This substance possesses little if any disinfectant 

 power. It is mildly antiseptic in moist wounds, due to the 

 gradual liberation of small quantities of iodine. 



Boric Acid. — This material possesses practically no disin- 

 fectan t power. It is a mild antiseptic when applied as an 

 undiluted powder to wounds. A saturated aqueous solution 

 is much used, and is weakly antiseptic. 



Essential Oils. — Many of these bodies possess germicidal 

 value, notably the oils of cinnamon and cloves. The oil of 

 mustard is also a valuable disinfectant, but so irritating that 

 17 



