Mercury saligenin,a new antiseptic

The early studies of G. Cohn on saligenin and homosaligenin and the recent investigations of D. I. Macht on benzyl alcohol have demonstrated that these substances are mild antiseptics. We have studied the action of saligenin,

and have found that all of these substances are weak antiseptics. One or two per cent. solutions kill the bacillus coli, staphylococcus albus, streptococcus hemolyticus pneumococcus and gonococcus after 60 minutes exposure. Piperonyl alcohol,

whose sodium salt is water soluble. Solutions of this compound possess about the the same antiseptic power as HgCl₂, i.e., I :10,000 solutions kill staphylococcus, bacillus coli and gonococcus in five minutes and streptococcus hemolyticus in ten minutes in bouillon cultures, while in beef serum bouillon I :500 solutions kill in five minutes. Mercury saligenin is not a dye, and it is much less irritant to mucous membranes than is HgC1₂, so that a I :I000 soluion can be held in the urethra for five minutes without burning or subsequent irritation. We are therefore testing it clinically in anterior gonorrheal urethritis with encouraging results.

has also been prepared. Its water soluble sodium salt has the same antiseptic action as that of the mercury saligenin, but no greater. We have also prepared the mercury compound of parahydroxymetanitrophenylcarbinol which yields a monomercury derivative, probably

The sodium salt of this compound has the same antiseptic strength as to the other two mercury compounds.

Attempts at the chemotherapy of trypanosomiasis (brucei) and spirillosis (obermeyeri) in rats by the use of saligenin, piperonyl alcohol and mercury saligenin have thus far yielded only negative results.