Amseptu,r'i9ih8arm "  Chlor amine"  Antiseptics.  629 
"  CHLORAMINE  "  ANTISEPTICS.1 
By  E.  Fullerton  Cook,  Ph.M. 
The  wide-spread  interest  manifested  by  surgeons  in  army,  hos- 
pital, and  domestic  practice,  also  by  dentists,  in  the  new  anti- 
septics, known  under  the  general  name  of  "  chloramines "  would 
seem  to  justify  a  brief  review  of  their  present  status. 
These  substances  were  originally  proposed  by  Dr.  H.  D.  Dakin2 
in  191 5,  and  have  since  been  extensively  tested  and  improved. 
The  successful  use  of  the  various  hypochlorite  solutions  in  the 
treatment  of  war  wounds,  especially  the  famous  Dakin-Carrel  Solu- 
tion, a  neutral  solution  containing  from  0.4  to  0.5  per  cent,  of  sodium 
hypochlorite,  resulted  in  a  careful  study  of  many  of  the  phenomena 
observed  with  the  result  that  several  newer  products  have  been  de- 
veloped, which  seem  to  embody  the  advantages  of  this  solution,  but, 
in  large  measure,  overcome  its  defects. 
The  primary  objection  to  the  Dakin-Carrel  Solution  was  the 
necessity  of  maintaining  this  very  unstable  solution  exactly  within 
the  strength  limits  mentioned.  If  stronger  than  0.5  per  cent.,  it  be- 
came actively  irritating,  if  weaker  than  0.4  per  cent.,  it  no  longer 
possessed  active  germicidal  power.  Then  the  small  amount  of  active 
ingredient  was  soon  exhausted  in  performing  its  desired  function, 
and  this  required  its  constant  renewal,  elaborate  apparatus,  and 
much  attention  to  insure  results. 
Furthermore,  it  was  found  that  the  skin  surfaces  about  the 
wound,  if  allowed  to  come  in  contact  with  the  solution,  soon  devel- 
oped an  annoying  irritation,  resembling  ivy-poisoning,  a  condition 
persisting  for  months,  while  the  solution  in  contact  with  the  wound 
was  apparently  non-irritating  if  kept  within  the  proper  strength. 
The  investigation  of  Dr.  Dakin  and  his  collaborators  led  to  the 
discovery  that  the  hypochlorites  apparently  acted  upon  the  proteins 
and  other  nitrogenous  cell  constituents  with  the  development  of 
chloramines,  and  these  were  non-irritating,  but  highly  antiseptic. 
The  next  step  was  an  attempt  to  prepare  suitable  chloramines 
synthetically  and  the  first  practical  substance  discovered  was  the 
water-soluble  para-toluene-sodium-sulphonchloramine  (CH3-  C3H4- 
1  Presented  at  the  meeting  of  the  New  Jersey  Pharmaceutical  Associa- 
tion, Spring  Lake,  June,  1918. 
2  Brit.  Med.  Jour.,  August  25,  1915. 
