THEORIES AND EXPERIMENTS IN ANTISEPSIS. 
563 
Baer has also experimented with malachite green and his 
results confirm those of Behring in showing that malachite 
green is more actively germicidal than methyl violet. 
Trikresol.—This agent was used in a ifc solution and gave 
about the same results as the 2.5^ carbolic acid solution, a slight 
turpidity which did not increase. The experiment was repeated 
in 1898 with a 2% solution and all growth was prevented. 
The relative proportions of the antiseptics and cultures used 
in the experiments may not have been the best that could have 
been employed, but since they w T ere used uniformly, and so far 
as possible all of the conditions were kept the same, the experi¬ 
ment ought to indicate the relative efficiency, as antiseptics, of 
the agents tested. 
Various experimental methods of treating micro-organisms 
with antiseptics have been employed. Those used in connec¬ 
tion with the preceding experiments have already been de¬ 
scribed. Other methods are given by Ricteal (4) as follows : 
“ Dilution methods.—There are several methods, varying in 
detail, in which, after exposure of the organisms to the action 
of the disinfectant, a small portion of the culture is removed 
and inoculated into a relatively large volume of a nutrient me¬ 
dium. The dilution thus brought about is trusted to reduce 
the amount of the disinfectant carried over below the amount 
which would cause inhibition of the growth. If thought advis¬ 
able, a second inoculation, with further consequent dilution, 
may be made from a primarily infected culture. It is obviously 
important that fluid media should be used for the culture test, 
or otherwise the removal of the antiseptic is not secured. 
“ Sternberg’s Method. — A known volume (5 cc.) of the 
standardized antiseptic is added to an equal volume of a fluid 
(bouillon) culture of the micro-organism. After exposure for a 
given time a small portion of the mixed culture is withdrawn 
and inoculated into a suitable culture medium. The results are 
calculated as produced by an antiseptic of one-lialf the strength 
of the solution added to the culture. Hither the time of exposure 
or the strength of the solution can be made the variable factor. 
