SOLUTIONS—USES AND PREPARATION OF. 
acid to one gallon of water. Dissolve the acids 
in hot water and sterilize before using. 
Balsam of Peru. A five to ten per cent, solu¬ 
tion of balsam of Peru is an antiseptic solution 
frequently used in dressing burns and other 
wounds. The balsam is combined with castor oil 
or glycerine as a base. Balsam of Peru, five per 
cent, and castor oil ninety-five per cent, is the 
common formula. 
These are a few of the best drugs for antisep¬ 
tic and disinfectant purposes now in use. New 
drugs for the same uses are being discovered 
every year. 
Sterile Water. As sterile water alone is so 
frequently used in aseptic surgery, its prep¬ 
aration should be understood even by nurses just 
entering the work. The water should first be 
filtered and then boiled in vessels* which have also 
been made thoroughly clean by washing and 
soaking in an antiseptic solution. Distilled water 
ought to be aseptic, but as those who distill it 
are apt to handle it carelessly, nurses are advised 
to boil even distilled water before using it for 
aseptic sugery. 
FILTERED WATER. 
Filtered Water is not considered safe to use 
for drinking or surgical purposes without steril¬ 
izing. The parasitic bacteria filter through any 
ordinary filtering apparatus, the process of filtra¬ 
tion only ridding the water of other impurities 
and making it transparent. A system of sand 
*Filtered water and salt solutions are preferably ster¬ 
ilized in their containers and kept therein tightly closed 
until used. 
89 
