AmbJe°cu:'x?7h6.rra' }         Excretion  of  Salicylic  Acid.  549 
and  fermentation  immediately  commenced.  A  portion  set  aside  in  a 
warm  place  decomposed  with  the  same  rapidity  as  another  specimen  of 
urine  containing  no  salicylic  acid  or  its  salts. 
Parallel  experiments  were  then  made  with  urine  in  which  salicylic 
acid  had  been  dissolved  in  the  proportions  of  \  grain,  \  grain,  1  grain 
and  2  grains,  to  the  fluidounce.  Sweetened  with  sugar,  and  half  a 
grain  of  yeast  to  the  fluidounce  added,  the  \  grain  and  \  grain  solution 
fermented  more  or  less  rapidly,  the  1  grain  solution  slightly  in  twenty- 
four  hours,  whilst  that  containing  two  grains  to  the  ounce  remained 
unaffected.  Mixed  with  bitter  almond  meal,  two  grains  to  the  fluid- 
ounce,  the  \  grain  solution  prevented  the  production  of  bitter  almond 
oil,  but  with  mustard  flour  in  the  same  proportion  a  slight  odor  of  mus- 
tard oil  was  apparent,  nor  did  the  1  grain  solution  entirely  prevent  its 
production.  Similar  experiments  were  then  made  with  aqueous  solu- 
tions of  salicylic  acid,  and  \  of  grain  of  acid  to  the  fluidounce  was 
found  to  be  sufficient  'to  prevent  the  action  of  \  grain  of  yeast  on 
1  fluidounce  of  sweetened  solution.  Smaller  quantities  only  slightly 
retarded  the  action.  A  larger  proportion  of  salicylic  acid  was  required 
to  prevent  the  action  of  yeast  on  sugar  than  has  been  recorded  by  some 
experimenters,  and,  as  might  be  expected,  more  acid  was  required  to 
produce  the  same  effect  in  sweetened  urine  than  in  sweetened  water, 
some  of  it  probably  combining  with  the  alkaline  phosphates  present ; 
nevertheless,  these  experiments,  as  far  as  they  go,  seem  to  indicate 
that,  at  all  events  in  the  case  under  observation,  the  acid  was  not 
excreted  in  an  active  condition. 
In  connection  with  this  subject,  some  experiments  were  made  with 
urine  in  which  salicylate  of  sodium  had  been  dissolved  in  the  propor- 
tions of  1,  2,  3,  4  and  5  grains  to  the  fluidounce,  40  grains  of  sugar 
and  half  a  grain  of  yeast  were  added  to  an  ounce  of  each.  The  one 
grain  and  two  grain  solutions  fermented  rapidly,  the  three  and  four 
grain  solutions  less  rapidly,  and  the  five  grain  solution  remained  unaf- 
fected by  the  ferment. 
Solutions  of  salicylate  of  sodium  in  urine  appeared  to  exert  no  retard- 
ing action  on  the  production  of  oil  of  mustard,  or  oil  of  bitter  almonds. 
Aqueous  solutions  of  salicylate  of  sodium  acted  in  a  similar  manner. 
It  has  been  stated  that  the  salts  of  salicylic  acid  do  not  possess  anti- 
septic properties,  but  it  is  evident  that  salicylate  of  sodium  is  capable  of 
preventing  fermentation  if  present  in  the  proportion  named. 
