52 ON THE ANTISEPTIC SYSTEM 



So far from carbolic acid being a specific, it owes its virtues to properties 

 which it possesses in common with various other substances ; and results similar 

 in kind to those obtained by its means might be got by disinfectants long 

 familiar to British surgery, provided always that the same principles guided their 

 employment. This statement is not made on theoretical grounds alone. About 

 nine months after I had first treated compound fracture with carbolic acid, 

 Mr. Campbell De Morgan published a paper ' On the Use of Chloride of Zinc in 

 Surgical Operations and Injuries ', and was kind enough to send me a copy of 

 it. By means of this salt he had obtained highly satisfactory results, though 

 led to employ it with a very different object in view. Mr. De Morgan used 

 chloride of zinc in the first instance in cases of cancer, upon the idea that the 

 frequency of return of the disease after operation might depend on the dis- 

 semination of its germs on the cut surface, and he hoped that, by applying 

 a strong solution of the chloride to the wound so as to destroy any cancer-germs 

 that might be scattered over it, he might diminish the chance of recurrence. 

 Having treated cases of cancer in this way, he found that the wounds healed 

 unusually kindly, while there was, at the same time, an absence of ' animal 

 odour ', and he expressed his surprise at the small amount of ' action ' in the 

 part. To myself it appeared perfectly natural that, if chloride of zinc prevented 

 animal odour, implying that putrefaction was avoided, the wound, protected 

 from the irritating influence of the products of decomposition, should exhibit 

 little inflammatory disturbance. But it struck me as very remarkable that 

 a single application of chloride of zinc to the raw surface should have the effect 

 of preventing all odour of putrefaction for days afterwards ; for I knew that 

 in the case of carbolic acid a renewal of the antiseptic to the exterior was essential 

 in order to prevent decomposition. Hence it appeared likely that chloride 

 of zinc would answer better for my purpose than carbolic acid, and I deter- 

 mined, on the first suitable occasion, to give it a trial. It was not long before 

 an opportunity presented itself. 



Case of Compound Fracture Treated with Chloride of Zinc. — A labourer was 

 admitted into the infirmary with compound depressed fracture of the os frontis, 

 caused by violent impact of the handle of a winch. I applied chloride-of-zinc 

 solution thoroughly to the interior of the wound, and, with the view of prevent- 

 ing the spreading of decomposition inwards, adapted to the forehead a plate 

 of clean block- tin overlapping the sound skin for a considerable distance, a means 

 which, as I had before ascertained, prevents the occurrence of putrefaction 

 in the discharge from a healthy granulating sore. The tin plate was kept in 

 position by a piece of strapping, and over all was laid a damp folded rag to 

 absorb discharge, with directions that it should be frequently changed. The 



