Chapt. xxiii. Arsenical Soap. 299 



and healthy, aa such men haTB to be. His sound teeth were 

 dropping out The cause was found to be the same. He was 

 staffing birds, and using arsenical soap. If you take my advice 

 you will have nothing to do with it. 



With reference to a long and thorough trial of the solution of 

 corrosive sublimate, Waterton says : — "The result has been aston- 



- ishing success, and a perfect conviction that there is no absolute and 

 ■■ lasting safety for prepared specimens in zoology, from the depre- 

 '■ dations of insects, except by poisoning every part of them with a 

 "solution of corrosive sublimate in alcohol. I put a good large 



- tea-spoonful of well pounded corrosive sublimate into a wine- 

 " bottle full of alcohoL I let it stand over night, and the next 

 "morning draw it off into a clean bottle. When I apply it to 

 " black substances, and perceive that it leaves little particles on 

 " them, I then make it weaker by adding alcohol. A black feather, 



• dipped into the solution, and then dried, will be a very good test 

 " of the state of the solution. If it be too strong it will leave a 

 •■ whiteness upon the feather." 



Once more I will quote Waterton:— "You must not use 

 " arsenical soap, for two reasons. First, as it cannot be applied to 

 " every part of the skin, inside and out, it is not efficient. Secondly, 

 " the frequent use of it would injure your health. Last year, 

 " seeing poor Mr. Johnson, of the Royal Liverpool Institution, 

 " broken down in health, I asked him to Walton Hall, and he 

 "accepted the invitation. On questioning him what had brought 

 " him to his present state, lie said, he had been for weeks preparing 

 '• skins of lions, etc., and that he had been working up to the elbows 

 " in arsenical soap. He returned to Liverpool and died. Now 

 "there is no danger whatever in using the dilution of corrosive 

 "sublimate in alcohol, because, being liquid, no dust or small 

 "particles can be taken into your system through the medium of 

 "breathing. Moreover, although corrosive sublimate be the most 

 "deadly poison known to insects, it is 'not so deadly to other 

 " animals, and I can assure you that, although I have used it most 

 "copiously for above forty years, I have never experienced the 

 "smallest inconvenience from it. I once read of a Turk who was 

 •' in the habit of taking sixty grains of corrosive sublimate pel 

 - diem. But do not misunderstand me, I never use the sublimate 

 " in pastes or powder. 



