The Influence of Certain Organic Substances on the Growth of the Tubercle Bacillus

The power of a large number of aniline dyes to restrain the growth of Bacillus tuberculosis and Bacillus typhosus has been determined. Many substances have been found with especial restraining power for the tubercle bacillus under the conditions of the test. This capacity to restrain growth in the case of the tubercle bacillus apparently bears no simple relation to true disinfectant action. Opinion as to whether the active substances exert a truly specific activity against the tubercle bacillus or whether the activity is determined by the peculiar conditions imposed by the growth of this bacterium as a surface membrane are left for future consideration.