THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XXXIV. 
No. 404. 
AUGUST, 1861 . 
Fourth Series. 
No. 80. 
Communications and Cases, 
ON THERAPEUTICS. 
By Professor Brown, M.R.C.Y.S., 
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. 
(Continued from p. 385.) 
ANTISEPTICS. 
The occurrence of foetid secretions from wounds, or from 
mucous membranes when suffering from disease, is by no 
means unfrequent. The secretion may arise from con¬ 
stitutional disease, or from a peculiar condition of the affected 
part; in either case the destruction of the putrid matter, as 
soon as it is excreted, is desirable, for the purpose of avoiding 
the injurious consequences which commonly result from its 
remaining in contact with an absorbent surface. 
Antiseptics act either by altering the combinations upon 
which the putridity depends, or by absorbing some of the 
decomposed fluids, or by oxidising the organic matter, and 
thus completely changing its character; or by setting up a 
species of fermentation; or, as in the case of certain salts, by 
hardening the tissues, and so diminishing their liability to de¬ 
composition. The compounds of chlorine are the most 
effective general agents, as the products of putrefaction in¬ 
clude combinations of hydrogen that are at once decomposed 
by contact with chlorine, for which hydrogen has a great 
affinity. Nitrate of potash and sulphite of soda probably 
produce some effect, from their power of hardening animal 
texture; certainly the latter salt, in considerable quantities, 
is almost immediately effectual in arresting the disengage- 
xxxiv. 33 
