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232 THE MICRO-ORQANISMS OF THE HUMAN MOUTH. ;
present without, however, clevitaHzing them ; such agents are of
no more vahie as antiseptics in the treatment of the oral cavity
tlian an equal amount of distilled water. It is seldom that any-
one in rinsino; his mouth will retain the wash longer than one
minute, and an antiseptic mouth-wash, to he efficient, should be
able to devitalize the micro-organisms with which it comes in
contact within this short time.
Solntion Xo. 4 accomplishes this for nearly, if not for all,
micro-organisms in the vegetative form. A solution which de-
vitalizes spores in one minute is out of the question, and, in fact,
is not at all necessary, since the conditions which lead to the
formation of spores do not exist in the mouth, wdiere we find
almost exclusively the vegetative forms.
This solution (Xo. 4) has a decided action in one-fourth to one-
half of a minute ; in one minute the sterilization is nearly or
quite complete.
Xext to this came the solutions Xos. 5, 3, and 1, in close order
the addition of aseptin and acetate of aluminium, both of which,
but particularly the former, are antiseptics of considerable
strength, did not produce the hoped-for increase in the action of
the solution. The addition of salol had, as I anticipated, no efl'ect
whatever. These solutions produced a decided diminution in
the number of colonies in half a minute ; a complete steriliza-
tion usually required tw^o minutes, sometimes even longer.
Xearly as strong as these solutions w^ as a 50 per cent, solution
of listerine, which also has the advantage of a very agreeable
taste and odor.
Xow, it very often happens that the centers of decay about the
teeth are filled with particles of food, and we do not in such
cases have liquids to sterilize, but solid substances impregnated
with micro-organisms ; what efl^ect can we produce upon these
by the action of the solutions given above ?
To determine this question, a second series of experiments
was made in the following manner
Small porous bodies (bread, meat, paper, etc.), of as nearly the
same size as possible, were saturated with bouillon containing
certain micro-organisms, or with stale saliva, then subjected to
the action of the antiseptic solutions during a specified length
232 THE MICRO-ORQANISMS OF THE HUMAN MOUTH. ;
present without, however, clevitaHzing them ; such agents are of
no more vahie as antiseptics in the treatment of the oral cavity
tlian an equal amount of distilled water. It is seldom that any-
one in rinsino; his mouth will retain the wash longer than one
minute, and an antiseptic mouth-wash, to he efficient, should be
able to devitalize the micro-organisms with which it comes in
contact within this short time.
Solntion Xo. 4 accomplishes this for nearly, if not for all,
micro-organisms in the vegetative form. A solution which de-
vitalizes spores in one minute is out of the question, and, in fact,
is not at all necessary, since the conditions which lead to the
formation of spores do not exist in the mouth, wdiere we find
almost exclusively the vegetative forms.
This solution (Xo. 4) has a decided action in one-fourth to one-
half of a minute ; in one minute the sterilization is nearly or
quite complete.
Xext to this came the solutions Xos. 5, 3, and 1, in close order
the addition of aseptin and acetate of aluminium, both of which,
but particularly the former, are antiseptics of considerable
strength, did not produce the hoped-for increase in the action of
the solution. The addition of salol had, as I anticipated, no efl'ect
whatever. These solutions produced a decided diminution in
the number of colonies in half a minute ; a complete steriliza-
tion usually required tw^o minutes, sometimes even longer.
Xearly as strong as these solutions w^ as a 50 per cent, solution
of listerine, which also has the advantage of a very agreeable
taste and odor.
Xow, it very often happens that the centers of decay about the
teeth are filled with particles of food, and we do not in such
cases have liquids to sterilize, but solid substances impregnated
with micro-organisms ; what efl^ect can we produce upon these
by the action of the solutions given above ?
To determine this question, a second series of experiments
was made in the following manner
Small porous bodies (bread, meat, paper, etc.), of as nearly the
same size as possible, were saturated with bouillon containing
certain micro-organisms, or with stale saliva, then subjected to
the action of the antiseptic solutions during a specified length
