A method is presented here for determining the efficiency of hexachlorophene in reducing the bacterial count on or in the normal human skin, and maintaining it there at an effective low level. In general the method comprises a modification of the original Price multiple-basin technique wherein the hands are washed according to a specified procedure as to time and method, followed by rinsing. The rinse water is then examined for its bacteria content by plating two 1-ml and two 0.1-ml samples respectively in agar, then incubating at 37 C for 48 hr, at which time the petri-plates are observed, and the number of viable bacteria which were present determined by counting the colonies growing on or in the agar, and multiplying by the proper factor to take care of the aliquot dilution used. From these counts are determined the percentage of reduction in numbers of bacteria as obtained through the use of the 2 per cent hexachlorophene soap employed three times daily during the two weeks' test period, as the normal hand-washing procedure. Blank soap, containing no hexachlorophene, is used for the test-washings. Details of the test technique and of the methods used for calculating the degerming efficiency of the product being tested are given.

SCIENTIFIC PROCEEDINGSreducing value obtained for the urine. If permutite is used, some time can be saved by adding Lloyd's reagent and the permutite together to the diluted urine. There seems to be little change produced in the results by this slight modification.The average of a number of determinations gave, per 100 cc. o i normal urine, 55.4 mg. "glucose", when untreated Lloyd's reagent and permutite were used, 50.5 mg. when acid treated Lloyd's without permutite was used, 51.5 mg. when acid treated Lloyd's was used with permutite. The error in the recovery of 40 mg. added glucose per 100 cc. was -2.1 nig. when acid treated Lloyd's was used without permutite, and + 1.6 mg. when the acid treated reagent was used with permutite.

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