1 1 6  Bacterial  Poisoning  by  Medicines.       { AlVa°rch,^m' 
nine  are  remarkably  stable,  and  I  cannot  now  recollect  having  seen 
one  become  infected,  although  always,  even  in  warm  weather, 
keeping  a  large  quantity  on  hand  ready  for  dispensing.  Of  course, 
it  is  necessary  to  use  some  sulphuric  or  other  acid  in  dissolving 
it,  which  might  have  some  effect  in  checking  these  growths.  Yet 
the  quantity  necessary  to  use  is  so  small,  that  the  alkaloids  them- 
selves must  have  at  least  a  retarding  effect. 
The  antiseptic  action  of  alcohol  is  too  well  known  to  be  even 
questioned,  and  the  sp.  gr.  in  the  case  (making  allowance  for  the 
dissolved  quinine)  showed  that  it  was  up  to  the  U.  S.  P.  require- 
ments of  over  44  per  cent,  alcohol.  This  very  nearly  corresponds 
to  the  official  diluted  alcohol,  which  has  always  been  considered 
amply  sufficient  to  protect  solutions  from  bacteria.  This  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  36  of  the  79  fluid  extracts  in  the  Pharmacopoeia 
are  made  from  dilute  or  even  weaker  alcohol,  also  36  out  of  73 
tinctures  are  likewise  made  from  dilute  alcohol.  The  reason 
why  the  organisms  grew  under  conditions  fatal  to  most  germs  is 
undoubtedly  their  greater  vitality,  at  least  in  reference  to  alcohol. 
When  antiseptics  were  first  introduced  there  was  little  idea  of  the 
vast  difference  between  classes  of  germs,  and  it  was  taken  for 
granted  that  a  substance  fatal  to  one  was  fatal  to  all.  It  was  soon 
found  that  antiseptics  were  not  always  effectual,  and  on  this  account 
much  discredit  was  undeservedly  thrown  on  the  whole  theory.  As 
the  subject  was  more  thoroughly  studied,  it  was  found  that  one 
class  would  thrive  under  conditions  fatal  to  another  class,  and  that 
disinfectants  immediately  fatal  to  some  germs  had  no  effect  what- 
ever on  others. 
Thus  alcohol  is  inhibitory  to  nearly  all  of  these  growths  ;  but  that 
some  can  flourish  in  it  is  already  well  known,  any  vinegar  factory 
furnishing  an  instance.  In  making  vinegar  the  sugar  is  first  con- 
verted into  alcohol,  and  then  the  latter  is  further  oxidized  by  the 
influence  of  bacteria  (Mycroderma  aceti)  into  acetic  acid.  Now,  if 
these  germs  could  not  survive  in  an  alcoholic  liquid,  it  is  evident 
that  this  latter  reaction  could  not  occur,  and  the  alcohol  would 
remain  unchanged.  Further  light  on  this  subject  is  furnished  by 
Dr.  Le  Bon,1  in  a  paper  read  before  the  French  Academy  in  1883. 
He  states  that,  while  alcohol  is  a  strong  preventive,  yet  after  these 
1  Drug.  Circ,  xxvii,  p.  140. 
