158 SPRINGTIME SURGERY 



its use has become quite general because of the 

 following advantages: 



Mercuric cyanide is freely soluble in hot or cold 

 water, and in alcohol ; it does not stain the finger- 

 nails or give rise to eczema or other inflamma- 

 tions of the skin; it does not coagulate albumen 

 in blood, mucus, purulent or other discharges or 

 excretions; it is not precipitated or decomposed 

 by soap; it does not corrode steel, nickel or silver; 

 it can be used in any kind of a vessel — enameled, 

 porcelain, tin, papier-mtche or wooden; it is in- 

 expensive. 



Some of my critics, especially the laboratory 

 bacteriologists, have maintained that mercuric 

 cyanide is not an antiseptic, that it will not in- 

 hibit germ growth; but to these I say that I have 

 used it for now more than ten years, and the re- 

 sults have been more satisfactory than I obtained 

 from other antiseptics. The practical experience 

 of many other surgeons corroborates my own. 



Other critics say it is too dangerous an anti- 

 septic for general use, that its lethal effects are 

 too sudden should one of the laity accidentally 

 swallow some of it. But these should remember 



