ON THE ANTISEPTIC PRINCIPLES 273 



absorption and evaporation. This part of the treatment 

 has been greatly improved during the past few weeks. 

 The method which I have hitherto published (see Lancet 

 for Mar. i6th, 23rd, 3oth, and April 27th of the present 

 year) consisted in the application of a piece of lint dipped 

 in the acid, overlapping the sound skin to some extent 

 and covered with a tin cap, which was daily raised in 

 order to touch the surface of the lint with the antiseptic. 

 This method certainly succeeded well with wounds of 

 moderate size; and indeed I may say that in all the many 

 cases of this kind which have been so treated by myself 

 or my house-surgeons, not a single failure has occurred. 

 When, however, the wound is very large, the flow of 

 blood and serum is so profuse, especially during the first 

 twenty-four hours, that the antiseptic application cannot 

 prevent the spread of decomposition into the interior unless 

 it overlaps the sound skin for a very considerable distance, 

 and this was inadmissible by the method described above, 

 on account of the extensive sloughing of the surface of 

 the cutis which it would involve. This difficulty has, how- 

 ever, been overcome by employing a paste composed of 

 common whiting (carbonate of lime), mixed with a solu- 

 tion of one part of carbolic acid in four parts of boiled 

 linseed oil so as to form a firm putty. This application 

 contains the acid in too dilute a form to excoriate the 

 skin, which it may be made to cover to any extent that 

 may be thought desirable, while its substance serves as a 

 reservoir of the antiseptic material. So long as any dis- 

 charge continues, the paste should be changed daily, and, 

 in order to prevent the chance of mischief occurring dur- 

 ing the process, a piece of rag dipped in the solution of 

 carbolic acid in oil is put on next the skin, and maintained 

 there permanently, care being taken to avoid raising it 

 along with the putty. This rag is always kept in an anti- 

 septic condition from contact with the paste above it, and 

 destroys any germs which may fall upon it during the short 

 time that should alone be allowed to pass in the changing 

 of the dressing. The putty should be in a layer about 

 a quarter of an inch thick, and may be advantageously ap- 

 plied rolled out between two pieces of thin calico, which 



