1906.] 



Action on Bacteria of Electrical Discharges. 



73 



The extent to which discrepancy in the degree of acid produced occurred, 

 under conditions as nearly equal with regard to current as we could obtain, 

 is shown in the following tabulation of the results of the acidimetry of the 

 contents of each tube after exposure. For purposes of comparison the 

 experiments of Tables I and III may be considered together, as having been 

 carried out with the same apparatus, whilst in the experiments of Table II 

 a different arrangement of electrical apparatus was used, and one which was 

 less suitable to the purposes of our experiments (see p. 66). 



Acidimetry Table. 



Current at 

 100 volts 



supplied to 

 motor driving 

 the alternator. 



I Duration of 

 exposure 

 to discharge 

 in mins. 



Number 

 of 

 tubes 

 used. 



Percentage 

 average 

 acidity, 

 calculated 

 as nitric acid. 



Percentage acidity of 

 contents of each tube, 

 calculated as nitric, acid. 



Table L 

 Series 1 



Series 2 



Series 3 



)j 



Table III 



Series 1 



Series 2 



7 amperes 

 6 -IS „ 

 6 



9 „.'.; 



9 



Current and 

 voltage 

 (primary coil). 



Table II 

 Series 1 



Series 2.... 



Series 3.... 



4 amperes 

 74 volts 



6 amperes 

 80 volts 



6 amperes 

 84 volts 



15 



10 



10 

 15 

 7-5 



30 

 15 



20 

 15 

 10 



0-216 

 0-141 

 0-097 



0-276 

 0-099 



-24, -23, -23, -21, 



-2, -19 

 "16, -14, -14, -14, 



-14, -13 

 -12, -11, -08, -08 

 0-25 

 0-09 



-33, -28, -22 

 -13, -11, -1, -097, 

 -08, -07 



n -n-Q J '°9» ' 09 > ' 05 j ' 04 = 



O 05d j j Q . 04) Q . 01 



n-n«i J I 0-1,0-07, 0-06, 0-05, 



061 V 0-05,0-04 



0-063 > 0-08,0-06,0-05 



We are unable to explain satisfactorily the unequal formation of acid in 

 tubes of distilled water, or of bacterial emulsion, which have been submitted 

 to apparently the same treatment in the course of each separate series of 

 experiments, we can only assume that it is a result of considerable variation 

 in the intensity of the current during the progress of an experiment. The 

 results obtained in the experiments of Table III show, at any rate, that 

 a natural solution of the products of the action of the discharge on common 



