Chapt. xvii. Corrosive sublimate. 233 



"'my making use of the savon arsenitique for preserving 

 '"the skins of animals.'" 



With reference to a long and 1 thorough trial of the 

 solution of corrosive sublimate he says: — "The result has 

 "been astonishing success, and a perfect conviction that 

 "there is no absolute and lasting safety for prepared 

 "specimens in zoology, from the depredations 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 Koyal Liverpool Institution, broken down in health, 

 "I asked him to Walton Hall, and he accepted the in- 

 vitation. On questioning him what had brought him 

 "to his present state, he said, he had been for weeks pre- 

 paring skins of lions etc., and that he had been working 

 "up to the elbows in arsenical soap. He returned to 



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