ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS OF A MODERN ANTISEPTIC. 
199 
Stapleton, N. Y., March 7, 1898. 
This is to certify that I have this day examined for Mr. C. H. Robbins, 
a bay mare about 15^ hands high, 7 years old, docked tail, white hind 
fetlocks and star in face, and to the best of my ability I find said mare 
sound. James McKee, V. S. 
New York, March 4, 1898. 
I certify that I have examined for Mr. C. Robbins, bay mare 15.3 
hands high, seven years old, and that she is sound. Blemishes : Small 
splint, hypertrophied glands. 
Remarks :—I had this mare jumped and driven ; in fact, gave her a 
severe test. (Signed) H. D. Gill, 
Member of the Royal College of Vete7''i7iary Surgeons, Lo7idon, and 
Professor of Vetermaiy Surgery in Neiv York Vele^dnary College. 
(Reprinted from New Albany Medical Herald, for April, 1897.) . 
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS OF A MODERN ANTI¬ 
SEPTIC. 
By Robert C. Kenner, A. M., M. D., Touisville, Ky. 
Seventeen years ago the entire world was aglow with the 
strides made in the domain of surgery by the introduction of 
antiseptics. It caused many good surgeons to believe that sur¬ 
gery would have an entirely new future. But now, after a 
thorough trial, antiseptics have come to be considered in their 
true light. We have come to regard antiseptics as indispensa¬ 
ble, and their field of usefulness is clearly understood by the 
profession. When antiseptic surgery first was advocated by Sir 
Joseph Ivister, he held many views which he soon abandoned as 
worthless. He operated under a carbolic acid spray. This he 
soon found to be useless, and he did not long depend upon car¬ 
bolic acid as an antiseptic. In order to bring out the cen¬ 
tral idea of this paper—the requirements of a modern antiseptic 
—let me go over the most prominent antiseptics which have 
claimed the attention of the profession. The first antiseptic 
which in recent times gained the confidence of the profession 
was carbolic acid. This agent, from the fact that it was the 
one used by Bister, came to be depended upon all over the 
world. Its reign of favor however did not last long, as it soon 
came to be found to be an irritant and a poison, capable of do¬ 
ing a great deal of harm. When large surfaces were treated 
with carbolic solutions often patients died of carbolic acid in¬ 
toxication. It is impossible, in many cases, to prevent a result 
like this, and many surgeons can give some sad experience 
along this line. Again, when all danger of causing carbolic 
acid poisoning was rendered impossible, it has been found that 
