THE ANTISEPTIC AND GERMICIDAL PROPERTIES OF 
GLYCERIN. 
By Milton J. Rosenau, Director Hygienic Laboratory, Public Health and Marine- 
Hospital Service. 
INTRODUCTION. 
In working upon the bacteriology of vaccine virus it became evident 
that too much confidence was placed in the germicidal value of glyc- 
erin. In reviewing the literature upon the subject we were somewhat 
surprised to learn how meager has been the published work upon this 
important subject, especially in view of the almost universal practice 
of using glycerin to prepare and conserve vaccine virus and other 
organic matter. 
Since Copeman, in 1891, devised the method of mixing glycerin 
with vaccine pulp, much work has been done in studying the effect of 
glycerin upon the microbial life contaminating bovine vaccine virus, 
but comparatively little upon the direct action of this interesting 
substance upon definite pathogenic and saprophytic bacteria. We 
therefore made a careful study of this question. It has engaged our 
attention during the odd moments of the past two years, in order to 
determine precisely the antiseptic and germicidal powers of this impor- 
tant substance. These studies are now published in detail at the 
request of several vaccine manufacturers, who desire to make practical 
use of the results obtained. 
Our studies were considered under three heads: 
(1) We first determined the antiseptic power of glycerin; that is, 
its property of restraining bacterial growth and the amount required 
to prevent putrefaction and fermentation. 
(2) We determined its exact germicidal value; that is, the amount 
and time required to destroy pathogenic and saprophytic bacteria, 
both spore-bearing and nonspore-bearing varieties. 
(3) On account of the great importance of tetanus as a contaminator 
of vaccine virus, we made an extensive series of special studies to 
determine the effect of glycerin upon the spores of this organism. 
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