ESSENTIAL OILS, ETC. 203 
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. 
Cadéac 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, . ‘ ; j . 12 minutes. 
Cloves, : 3 - : . : 25 ie 
Eugenol, . ‘ é 3 - ‘ . 80 mn 
Thyme, j : a 7 : 35 oi 
Wild thyme, 5 . 7 - . . 85 im 
Verbena of India, . : ‘5 . , 45 ee 
Geranium of France, . ‘ é . . 50 wt 
Origanum, : . : . : 75 es 
Patchouly, ae . ‘ ‘ : . 80 as 
Zedoary, : ‘ A 3 ; ‘ 2 hours, 
Absinthe, . F : F : 3 : Ly x 
Sandalwood, . : Fi 3 A z 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, opopanax, 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. 
