516 
Influence  of  Calomel  on  Fermentation.  {^^'ocru^-i^^' 
diastatic,  upon  starch,  and  the  transformation  of  the  latter  into  glucose, 
proceeded  equally  undisturbed  in  the  presence  of  calomel.  Hence  it 
follows  that  calomel,  by  its  presence  in  these  experiments  on  artificial 
digestion,  allows  the  actual  process  of  digestion  to  go  on  without  in- 
jury, whilst  it  effectually  prevents  putrefactive  change.  And  this  in 
the  same  way  as  proved  for  salicylic  acid  by  Kiihn,  and  in  the  case  of 
arsenic  by  Scheffer  and  Bohm. 
The  author  also  foTind  the  action  of  calomel  in  the  process  of  butyric 
acid  fermentation,  which  sometimes  occurs  in  certain  pathological 
states  of  the  digestive  system,  similar  to  that  in  common  putrefaction, 
entirely  preventing  it. 
A  further  series  of  ( xperiments,  which  need  only  be  referred  to 
here,  w^ere  carried  out  to  determine  the  disinfectant  action  of  calomel 
in  fluids  containing  bacteria  and  micrococci,  the  bacterioscopic  method 
of  Bucholtz-Wernich  being  used.  The  results  showed  that  calomel 
acted  as  a  true  antiseptic  and  disinfectant  in  preventing  the  development 
of  such  organisms  in  culture  fluids,  and  arresting  their  activity  when 
already  developed  therein. 
The  difference  in  the  influence  of  calomel  on  the  process  of  diges- 
tion on  the  one  hand,  and  on  putrefactive  and  fermentative  changes 
on  the  other,  is  dependent  upon  a  distinct  difference  of  action  on  orga- 
nized and  unorganized  ferments.  Whilst  it  does  not  interfere  with 
the  activity  of  the  latter,  it  destroys  the  vitality  of  the  former,  and 
with  it  the  power  of  inducing  subsequent  septic  changes. 
Finally,  as  regards  the  green  color  of  the  bowel  discharges  wit- 
nessed after  the  exhibition  of  calomel,  this  was  formerly  attributed  to 
the  presence  of  bile,  expelled  by  virtue  of  the  assumed  action  of  calomel 
as  a  cholagogue ;  this  appearance  was  considered  by  Hoppe-Scyler  to 
be  due  to  the  presence  of  undecomposed  bile,  and  the  author's  experi- 
ments now  confirm  this  view.  Under  ordinary  conditions,  the  bile 
pigments,  bilirubin  and  biliverdin,  become  decomposed  in  the  intestine 
under  the  influence  of  putrescent  changes,  forming  hydrobilirubin. 
During  the  administration  of  calomel  this  decomposition  does  not  take 
place,  and  the  bile  pigments  are  expelled  unchanged. 
The  author  concludes  that  the  therapeutic  virtues  of  calomel  are  to 
be  ascribed  to  its  antiseptic  and  disinfectant  properties. — Jour.  Chem. 
Soc.,  July  1883,  p.  743. — Zeitschr.  physiol.  Chem.,  vi.  112-114. 
