1889-90.] Dr Griffiths on Researches on Micro-Organisms. 267 
experiments performed on Mr John Snodgrass. His case was that 
tinctly tubercular several years ago. 
Although Mr Snodgrass was greatly relieved, and his life pro- 
longed, by the injection methods ( Proc . Roy. Soc. Bdin., vol. xv. 
p. 53), yet there was hardly any hope of a permanent cure in his 
case. He suffered from a complication of diseases, which caused 
him to discontinue the injections of salicylic acid (Part II., p. 62). 
The disease proved fatal on May 24, 1888. 
The administration of salicylic acid in the form of pills will have 
no effect in curing phthisis. During its passage throngh the system 
salicylic acid becomes altered. 
It combines with glycocine forming salicyluric acid, thus — 
The salicyluric acid so formed passes off by the urine. 
The rationale of piy method is to destroy the “ germs ” of disease 
in the blood (i.e., where they reside). 
Since the reading of my last paper on this subject, before the 
Royal Society of Edinburgh, I have injected into my own system 
two other substances (besides salicylic acid), without any ill effects. 
One of these was 20 minims of a 0*4 per cent, solution of sodium 
fluosilicate. We have already seen that this substance is a power- 
ful germicidal agent, capable of destroying Bacillus tuberculosis. 
The other substance injected was 20 minims of an 1*0 per cent, 
solution of sodium salicylate. 
Sodium salicylate is far more soluble in water than salicylic acid, 
but it is not a germicidal agent. 
Sodium compounds (as a general rule), with non-poisonous acid 
radicles, have little or no action on the blood when used in small 
quantities. 
It was the suggestion of Dr Wood that sodium salicylate might 
prove a valuable antiseptic, but my experiments have all failed to 
show that it possesses this property. 
On the other hand, Dr Grandeau and others have shown that 
when potassium compounds are injected into the blood, they para- 
lyse the heart and striated muscles (Kemmerich’s Archiv fur Physio - 
of a “ lung disease ” of thirteen years’ standing, which became dis- 
'OH 
COOH + 
