232 



ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



Coal, ... } c. per Ib. 



Coal-tar, f ' ! " 



Heavy coal-oil, . . 2} a 3^ " 



Light coal-oil, . . 6| a 10J " 



Benzole, . . 10* a 13 " 



Crude nitro-benzole, 57 a 61 " 

 Rectified uitro-benzole, 82 a 96 " 



u 



Ordinary aniline, S?3,27 a $4,90 per Ib. 

 Liquid aniline violet, 28 a 41 c. " 

 Carmine aniline 



violet, . . 32c. a 81.92 " 



Pure aniline violet, 



in powder, S245 a $326.88 " " 



The last is equal to the price of gold. And so, says M. Parisel, from coal, 

 carried to its tenth power, we have gold; the diamond is to come. 



ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF COAL-TAR AS A DISINFECTANT. 



The use of a mixture of coal-tar and plaster-of-paris for purposes of disin- 

 fection and for dressing wounds, as proposed by Corne and Demeaux, 1 has 

 recently been reported upon in the French Academy by a committee Chev- 

 reul, J. Cioquet, and Velpeau to which the subject was referred in July, 

 1859. 



In numerous experiments, made at the Hospital de la Chan'te, the mixed 

 coal-tar and plaster of Corne was employed, both in the state of powder and 

 as a poultice made by mixing it with oil. When applied as a thick layer, 

 three or four times a day, upon putrid, gangrenous, and sanious Avounds, the 

 powder destroyed their odor, without giving rise to any special pain. Upon 

 indolent sores, however, or upon recent burns, the contact of the powder 

 produced considerable smarting upon some patients, though well borne by 

 others. Wounds of the first class were often found to be cleaned as Avell as 

 disinfected ; while those of the second class generally acquired a dirty, pale- 

 gray tint, their cicatrization being hindered. 



Tiie poultices were found to be more advantageous than the powder in the 

 treatment of cavernous wounds, purulent or fetid, and sinuous foci, open 

 suppurating abscesses, anthracoidal suppurations, etc. 



Applied directly to the sore, the poultices destroyed the putrid odors, 

 allayed the inflammation without augmenting the pain, leaving beneath them 

 a healthier pus, and the surfaces in better condition. In a Avord, the mixed 

 coal-tar and plaster, when properly applied, disinfects wounds and putrid 

 suppurations. As for the absorbent and detergent qualities which its inventors 

 also claim for it, these are less clearly evident. 



The powder absorbs better than the poultices; the latter, it is true, take 

 up a portion of the morbid exud'ations, but unless the dressing is carefully 

 renewed five or six times a day, pus will nevertheless collect beneath it. 

 From this it follows, that after having been somewhat cleaned the wound 

 ceases at the end of a few days to clean itself, or to heal more rapidly than it 

 would with the usual topical applications. 



It is in the dissecting-room, upon organic matter in a state of putrefaction, 

 that the mixed coal-tar and plaster is all-powerful. The most infectious 

 masses, when imbued with the powder, or simply rolled about in it, lose at 

 once their disagreeable odor. According to Velpeau, his autopsy room was 

 as approachable towards t^ie close of last summer as it had formerly been 

 repulsive. It was freed fro n flies and other insects, as well as from putrid 

 odors. 



Ah hough it would haA r e been out of the province of the committee to 



1 See Annual of Scientific Discovery, 1860, pp. 268-69. 



