Salicylic Acid in Diphtheria.
—M. D'Fspine, of Geneva, agrees with Roux and Yersin, of Pasteur's laboratory, regarding the specific character of the bacillus discovered by Loeffler. He believes that the bacillus does not enter the circulation and that it only produces intoxication of the organism by the formation of products which are afterwards absorbed. D'Espine has studied the destructive action of the various parasiticide remedies used in diphtheria as affecting the microörganism. Benzoate of sodium (5 or 10 parts in 100), chlorate of potassium (5 parts in 100), boric acid (4 parts in 100), — of sulphur (sulphuret of sodium) (from 2½ to 5 parts per 100) left in contact with the bacillus for five minutes has failed to arrest its development. Under similar conditions it has been arrested however, by sublimate (1-8000), by phenic acid (2-100), by salicylic acid (1-2000), by chloral (1-100), by permanganate of potassium (1-2000), etc.