THE SPIROCHETICIDAL ACTION OF PENICILLIN IN VITRO AND ITS TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT

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Abstract
1. Penicillin was found to be actively spirocheticidal in vitro against the Reiter, Kazan, Nichols, and Noguchi strains of so called S. pallida, and a strain of mouth spirochetes. The threshold concentration was 0.01 unit per Cc. (1–160,000,000 penicillin). The rate and degree of action increased with the concentration of penicillin up to a level of approximately 0.1 to 0.25 unit per cc., which rendered more than 99 per cent of the organisms non-viable within 12 hours. Higher concentrations did not appreciably accelerate the effect.