ASEPSIS AND ANTISEPSIS. 
635 
TABLE OB STRENGTHS REQUIRED TO RESTRAIN BACTERIAL MULTIPLI¬ 
CATION. 
Reagent. 
Mercuric bichloride. 
Iodine . 
Sulphuric acid. 
Carbolic acid.. • • • 
Salicylie acid and sodium.biborate, equal 
Boracic acid. 
Ferric sulphate. 
Sodium biborate. 
Alcohol. 
Efficient in the propor¬ 
tion of one part in 
parts . . 
35> 0 °o 
4,000 
i, 800 
500 
200 
200 
200 
100 
10 
The foregoing tables are from Dr. L. S. Pilcher’s work on 
“ The Treatment of Wounds,” recently issued. I am also in¬ 
debted to the same author for much valuable data in connec¬ 
tion with the subject under consideration. 
Comparison of the two tables shows that the more potent 
bactericides have the power of resisting multiplication in quan¬ 
tities considerably less than are required to destroy vitality. 
In the case of iodine, the difference is eightfold ; in that of car¬ 
bolic acid, fivefold ; in that of sulphuric acid, fourfold, etc. 
In addition to those soluble agents, marked antiseptic power 
attaches to many substances which are insoluble or compara¬ 
tively so. These include iodoform, napthaline, zinc oxide, bis¬ 
muth subcarbonate, subnitrate, suboxide and subgallate, aris- 
tol, ariol, iodol, nosoplien and other similar compounds. The 
common property of this group of agents is the inhibition by 
their presence of bacterial growth and multiplication. 'J o 
some of them attaches also a chemotatic power; that is to say, 
the power to stimulate the accumulation of living energetic 
cells in the wound-surfaces and borders. The effect of this is to 
strengthen the local resisting power of the tissues and to favor 
rapid repair. 
Carbolic acid , the agent first used in the application of mod¬ 
ern antisepsis, and used so extensively by Lister, is now largely 
replaced by other agents. The properties that commend cai- 
bolic acid for use as an antiseptic are its reliability and its diffusi- 
bility. Its disadvantages are the local irritation which it ex- 
