14 CIRCULAR 6 5 6, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



WOUNDS TREATED WITH DRESSING NO. 541 



Dressing No. 541, which contained fish oil and rosin, was not 

 expected to be harmful to fresh wounds. In the longitudinal diameter 

 the average extension was less than with no treatment (check), and 

 when the spring average is considered the difference is still greater; 

 that is, dressing No. 541 seemed to prevent drying and dying in the 

 spring, but at some other periods, as in summer, it caused some harm 

 and more extension than no treatment. It was better than the white 

 lead and linseed oil but poorer than shellac. Where a dressing having 

 good covering properties to prevent cracking and water entering the 

 wound is desired, this dressing, which gave better results than any 

 other tried, is suggested. 



WOUNDS TREATED WITH DRESSING NO. 540 



Dressing No. 540, which contained copper soap, presumably would 

 have mild disinfecting properties, but owing to the insoluble nature of 

 the copper compound it was not expected to have harmful effects. 

 However, the average killing or the extension of the longitudinal 

 diameter was greater with this dressing than with No, 541, shellac, 

 or white lead and linseed oil. Also the average healing was less with 

 this treatment than with No. 541, shellac, or white lead and linseed 

 oil at the end of the first growing season. Even though the dressing- 

 had good covering properties and protected the wounds from drying, 

 there was still more killing than where no protection was given, as 

 in the untreated wounds. 



WOUNDS TREATED WITH SHELLAC 



The shellac dressing did not provide the thick or waxy covering 

 usually considered desirable to prevent drying and other adverse 

 weathering effects, but better callus developed with this than with any 

 other dressing. The wounds with no protection from weathering 

 and those with the No. 541 treatment, which made a continuous waxy 

 coating and presumably should be noninjurious, both showed more 

 enlargement in the longitudinal diameter and less callus formation in 

 the transverse diameter than where shellac was used. At the end of 

 the second season the contrast between the shellac and no treatment 

 (check) and other treatments was still pronounced. This was es- 

 pecially noticeable for the spring and winter treatments. 



WOUNDS TREATED WITH WHITE LEAD AND LINSEED OIL 



The dressing of white lead and linseed oil was better than dressing 

 No. 540, but not so good as dressing No. 541 or shellac. White lead 

 and linseed oil probably afforded greater protection from drying than 

 shellac, but this beneficial effect was possibly offset by harmful effects, 

 for the result in general was less healing than where shellac was used 

 or even where nothing was applied. 



