210 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 
init. 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 39° 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 asimilar 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 
