1908.] Agents in the Oxidation of Amorphous Carbon. 253 
valueless for the purposes of the present investigation. There is a danger of 
chemical reactions taking place, and directly any antiseptic is employed the 
research becomes complicated by the introduction of an entirely fresh set of 
problems which need special investigation. 
Table of Results of Titrations. 
Duration of Experiment 20 Days, 5 grammes of Material used in each case, 
Miiligrammes of CO. 
Temperatures ...........000 20°C: | 30> &. | 40° C. | 100° C. 
Coal— 
Whoist:inoctilated .......c.sccccsceccs | 2°0 3°1 46 0:0 
Moist sterilised by boiling ......... 0°0 0:0 0°0 0°0 
OY soeede obee beer: cine ARBOR pre adotr | 0:0 0:0 0:0 0:0 
Charcoal— 
MMOISG MOCUIAtE co. .c..0c..-ceecnenee OG 1 3 2°5 0:0 
Moist sterilised by boiling ......... 0-0 0-0 0:0 0:0 
ia? co, ee ie 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 
Charcoal uncalcined— 
MMoistiimoculated ....c.iceseccccsescas 5 °4 8 ‘0 22 ‘8 — 
Neither corrosive sublimate nor chloroform were found to be effective as 
antiseptics. In the flasks treated with both these substances a microscopic 
examination at the conclusion of the experiment showed the presence of 
motile bacteria (not Brownian movement), which stained with gentian violet 
and grew feebly as stab-cultures on gelatine. In the flasks treated with 
iodine no movement of the bacteria could be observed and they appeared to 
have been entirely destroyed. It should be mentioned that a weaker solution 
of iodine proved to be less efficient, owing possibly to the smaller margin 
allowed for its reduction. 
I was not prepared to find the bacteria able to resist a 2-per-cent. solution 
of corrosive sublimate, though chloroform I well knew to be of little use. 
The value of antiseptics, however, in securing absolutely sterile conditions, is 
often doubtful, and as the author has previously pointed out, even very 
strong percentages of such poisons may be quite ineffective in destroying 
micro-organisms (8 and 9). 
The recent work of Adrian J. Brown (2) upon “The Existence of a Semi- 
permeable Membrane enclosing the Seeds of certain Graminee ” throws con- 
siderable light upon the action of antiseptics. Brown has shown that when 
these seeds are soaked for three days in a 5-per-cent. solution of cupric 
sulphate, silver nitrate, and potassium ferrocyanide, no trace of these 
substances penetrated to the interior of the grain, though water was freely 
