SOAP 579 



Action and Uses. — Most soaps are alkaline. Soap is a 

 detergent or cleansing agent. The lather mechanically 

 removes dirt, while the alkalinity assists in the removal of 

 grease, dead epidermis, and sebaceous matter from the skin. 

 The caustic alkali contained in soap relieves itching and is 

 stimulating to the skin ; so much so, that cheap soaps are 

 harmful in normal conditions of the integument. 



Liniment of soft soap is frequently employed in chronic 

 eczema and psoriasis, to remove scales and crusts ; to stimu- 

 late the parts ; and to quiet itching. It should be rubbed 

 smartly into the skin, washed off, and followed by the appli- 

 cation of a suitable ointment. Gauze saturated with soap 

 suds (soap suds poultice) is an excellent agency to cause the 

 exfoliation of the epidermis in patches of old scaly eczema 

 and psoriasis, when applied for several hours. Soft soap, oil 

 of cade, and alcohol, equal parts, are recommended as a 

 useful preparation for the treatment of chronic eczema and 

 pruritus. The application of soap and water is a necessary 

 preliminary to the employment of a vesicating ointmeut, or 

 parasiticide, since it cleanses the skin, and, by removing 

 epidermis, exposes the burrows of acari in mange and scab. 

 Soap liniment is a favorite remedy for sprains and bruises. 

 If a more stimulating action is desirable, it is advisable to 

 combine oil of turpentine or water of ammonia with it. If 

 an anodyne effect is indicated, tincture of aconite or opium 

 are added. 



Chafing of the skin produced by harness, should be 

 treated by washing the skin with soap and water, and then 

 by dusting with zinc oxide and starch, equal parts. Sapo 

 mollis, together with an equal amount of flour of mustard, 

 forms a most satisfactory cleansing and disinfectant mixture 

 for the hands of the operating surgeon when employed in 

 the same manner as ordinary soap. Soap may also be 

 used as a lubricating agent for the hands or instru- 

 ments in making examinations. Soap is a useful excipient 

 for balls, pills, and plasters, and it is a constituent of lini- 

 ments. 



