52 VETERINARY SURGICAL THERAPEUTICS. 
Some spores (tetanus, septicemia) are possessed of an extraordinary 
vitality. 
All microbes resist heat and antiseptics much better and much 
longer in dry than in damp media. An excellent way of effecting 
their complete destruction, is to expose them: to damp _ heat. 
While most of the pathogenic microbes may be killed with steam, 
to obtain the same result with dry heat, atemperature of 130° to 
150° is required. With the assistance of moisture, the potency of , 
high temperature and of chemical antiseptics is considerably in-- 
creased. Submitted to the action of damp heat, most of the adult. 
pathogenic microbes do not stand a temperature of 1002 more 
than a few minutes; boiling water is sufficient to destroy them ;. 
also strong antiseptic solutions. Many die at 80°-7o°, and even 
65°, but to destroy tetanic, septic, and some other spores, tempera-- 
tures higher than 100° are required. 
The following table shows the temperatures at which, in damp 
media, the pathogenic agents, which are most interesting to us,, 
are killed : 
The staphylococcus aureus is killed in ten minutes by a temperature of 58° 
_ albus _ _ 62° 
= citreus a _ 62° 
The streptococcus of erysipelas _- _ 58° 
The distemper _ _ 60° 
The bacillus of tetanus — —_ 75° 
_ tuberculosis — - 75° 
_ glanders -- _ 55 
The bacteroids _ _ B52 
The anthrax spores - _- 100° 
The tetanic _ _ _ 105° 
The septicemic — 
The /e/anic virus (spores) is destroyed in 15 minutes with a tem- 
perature of 100°; in five at 115%. It resists nearly 10 hours, ina. 
cold, strong phenicated solution (5 percent.), and for more than three: 
hours in a Van Swieten solution. _ . 
Fresh sepiicemic wrus resists 15 minutes, with a heat of 100? 3 with: 
dry heat it is destroyed in 10 minutes at 120°. 
Fresh virus of symptomatic anthrax is destroyed in two minutes by- 
immersion in boiling water. If it is dry, it stands 10 minutes a heat. 
of 120% : 
Also, fresh virus of bacterian anthrax (spores) is destroyed in a few 
minutes by heat at 100’— 105° if it is dry. To obtain the same- 
result, a temperature of 115% for 10 minutes will be required, 
ANTISEPTIC AGENTS, 
Let us briefly. consider the principal antiseptic agents, and indicate- 
their use and modes of application. 
With phenic acid, solutions of 1, 2 or 5 per cent. are made. The: 
