CREOSOTUM — CREOSOTE 453 



The zinc salt is also used as a wash for inflammations of the 

 various mucous memhranes as in conjunctivitis, pharyngitis, etc., in 

 solution of 5 grains to the ounce of water. 



* Xeroform. Tribromphenol-bismuth is a yellow, odorless and 

 tasteless powder containing about 50 per cent, of bismuth oxide. It 

 is insoluble in ordinary solvents. 



Doses. Dog grs. x — ^xv ; 0.65 — 1, several times daily. 



Action and Uses. Xeroform is used externally as a dusting 

 powder, internally as an astringent and intestinal disinfectant. 



CREOSOTUM — CRESOTE 



Creosote is a mixture of phenols, most important of which are 

 guaiacol and creosol, obtained by the distillation of wood tar, prefer- 

 ably that of the beech (beech wood creosote). It occurs as a colorless 

 or faintly, yellow, oily fluid, of a smoky penetrating odor and caus- 

 tic taste. It is soluble in 140 parts of water and miscible in alco- 

 hol, ether, chloroform and the fixed and volatile oils. 



Preparations and Doses. 



Creosotum. H. 3j — iv; 4. — 15. Dog, tt^. ss — iij ; 0.3 — 



0.2. 

 Aqua Creosoti 1 per cent. D. 3j — iv; 4. — 15. 



Action. Creosote resembles phenol in action but it is much 

 less irritant and toxic, although large doses cause all the symptoms 

 of poisoning by that drug. It is eliminated somewhat by the 

 mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and serves as an antisep- 

 tic expectorant. It is anesthetic and, like all members of the 

 group, is antiseptic. 



Therapeutics. 1. Expectorant. It is particularly valuable 

 in chronic or subacute bronchitis with copious purulent exudate. 

 According to SoUmann, it is best administered by inhalation for 

 pulmonary diseases, but he also states that it will hasten the absorp- 

 tion of pleuritic effusions if rubbed on the chest. Creosote has 

 proved of considerable benefit in canine distemper, in which case it 

 appears to act as an intestinal antiseptic as well as expectorant. 



2. Antiseptic. It may be used as an intestinal antiseptic in 

 chronic gastric and intestinal catarrah. It possesses no advantage 

 over phenol for external use. 



3. Local anesthetic. Its anesthetic action is employed particu- 

 larly in human dentistry, to relieve toothache. Inhalations of creo- 

 sote, one minim to the ounce of hot water, will also frequently allay 

 cough. 



• Unofficial. 



