562 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS 3 separate rabbits produced a typical Pseudomonas keratitis syndrome. The development of the keratitis was much slower than that achieved with inoculations ot viable P. aeruginosa cells. Intradermal injection of rabbits with 0.1 ml of Pseudo.rnonas endotoxin produced erythema and edema in 24 hours, but no subsequent skin necrosis was noted. Purified endotoxins have also been prepared from cells of Pseu- domonas putida, Pseudorn, onas fluorescens, and Alcaligenes faecalis. Ge- neric specificity has been demonstrated for these preparations through Ouchterlony agar-gel diffusion procedures with homologous hyperim- mune sera as described above. The Schwartzman phenomenon was demonstrated when these purified endotoxins were incorporated into topical products and then placed on rabbit skin (29). These preliminary animal studies suggest that these endotoxins are potent allergens. CONCLUSION Even if industrial microbiologists are slow to adapt the diagnostic techniques currently in use in clinical laboratories, the responsibility for public health held by certain regulatory agencies will require the rou- tine isolation and characterization of objectionable species by these gov- ernmental groups. This paper has briefly reviewed the use of hyper- immune typing sera, pyocine typing, endotoxin determinations, and occasional animal pathogenicity studies as additional tools that are help- ful in the evaluation of health hazard from specific contaminants. The microbiological laboratories of public health regulatory agencies are al- ready looking forward to the eventual development of automated meth- ods both to screen products for objectionable microbial contamination and to speciate the contaminants for health hazard evaluation. Further- more, tests are under development which could routinely indicate the previous microbiological history of a product in that the by-products of dead microorganisms would be detected. If a manufacturer operates with good manufacturing procedures, employs sufficient control tests during manufacturing operations, preserves his product so that it will tolerate significant consumer abuse, and performs finished product tests as to the types and numbers of specific organisms contaminating his product, then public outcries and concern over the microbiological qual- ity of topical products will be at a minimum. (Received January 4, 1972)

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