Bactericidal Power of Electrolytic Hypochlorite

Abstract

IT has been long observed that hypochlorite liquor, freshly prepared by electrolysis of brine using carbon electrodes, possesses characteristic oxidizing properties distinct from chlorine water or from sodium hypochlorite prepared by the passage of chlorine into caustic soda solution. Masterman¹ made an extensive survey of the possible differences, and, using tetra-methyl. base, showed that electrolytic hypochlorite produced quite a different range of dyestuff colours from either of the other two chlorine agents. He suggested that this might be due to the presence of ozone in the electrolysed solution, since a similar colour reaction is given by that substance.