Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I Introduction: Historical review -- Definition of terms -- Part II Mode of action: Principles of antimicrobial activity -- Bacterial resistance and dynamics of antibacterial activity -- Physical factors influencing the activity of antimicrobial agents -- Thermal destruction of microorganisms -- Part III Methods of testing: Introduction to antimicrobial testing methods -- Methods of testing for sterility and efficacy of sterilizers, sporicides and sterilizing processes -- Methods of testing disinfectants -- Methods of testing sanitizers and bacteriostatic substances -- Methods of testing antiseptics -- Methods of testing virucides -- Methods of testing fungicides -- Methods of testing protozoacides and anthelmintics -- Safety evaluations on antimicrobial chemicals -- Part IV Antiseptics and disinfectants: Alcohols -- Acid-anionic surfactant sanitizers -- The bis-phenols -- Chlorine and chlorine compounds -- Fungistatic and fungicidal compounds -- Heavy metals other than mercury and silver -- Iodine -- Mercurials - Inorganic and organic -- Oligodynamic metals -- Phenolic compounds -- Quaternary ammonium surface-active disinfectants -- The salicylanilides and carbanilides -- Silver compounds -- Virucidal agents -- Antiprotozoan and anthelmintic compounds -- Mycobactericidal agents -- Part V Surgical and hospital disinfection: Chemical disinfection of medical and surgical materials -- Surgical antiseptics -- Control of biological agents as contaminants in microbiological laboratories -- Part VI Antimicrobial preservatives and protectants: Cosmetic preservatives -- Antimicrobial preservatives in pharmaceuticals -- Preservatives for industrial products -- Antimicrobial agents used in crop protection -- Food preservatives -- Part VII Chemical and physical sterilization: Disinfection of drinking water, swimming pool water and treated sewage effluents -- Gaseous sterilization -- Spacecraft sterilization -- Sterilization by heat -- The destruction of microorganisms by ionizing irradiation -- Sterilization by ultraviolet radiations -- Sterilization filtration.