200 
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS OF A MODERN ANTISEPTIC. 
the agent was an irritant to such a degree that wounds were 
rendered unhealthy or made to heal more slowly, than when 
they received no antiseptic at all. Again, it was demonstrated 
by a great many investigators that carbolic acid was not fatal 
to all pathogenic bacteria, and, therefore the agent has come to 
be laid aside as far as any of the purposes of a modern surgical 
antiseptic are concerned. After carbolic acid had come to oc¬ 
cupy this place, we find corrosive sublimate to have gained a 
most widespread acceptance at the hands of the profession. 
This widespread acceptance is due to the fact that corrosive sub¬ 
limate is positively fatal to many and most all of pathogenic 
bacteria. Over a hundred years ago Pringle, in an array of 
tests to demonstrate the value of antiseptics, found that carbolic 
acid would more quickly prevent or deter sepsis than any other 
agent. Pringle’s work, however, was on other lines than ours. 
Yet he found out much that has since his day been rediscovered. 
Corrosive sublimate to-day may be said to be on the decline. 
In fact, few well informed surgeons will now employ it at all. 
The reason for the decline of carbolic acid in favor is that it is 
very poisonous and a most potent irritant. Possibly no drug is 
a greater irritant. One of the first things which caused corro¬ 
sive sublimate to begin to decline was the fact that one of the 
leading surgeons pointed out that it would, when brought in 
contact with divided tissue, form an albuminate over all the 
surface of the wound, and that this would prevent the healing 
by first intention, and very often it would cause suppuration. 
We need have care, too, in using corrosive sublimate that we do 
not allow it to be used over extensive surfaces. If there is but 
a small amount absorbed, we shall find our patient with symp¬ 
toms of poisoning. Again, in employing corrosive sublimate, it 
is necessary to bear in mind that it is easy to get it too strong. 
Many serious accidents occurred from this cause. Again, when 
we use corrosive sublimate, we find that it cannot be used with 
safety as a spray. For these reasons corrosive sublimate is a 
most dangerous antiseptic, and its going into disuse is for the 
good of the profession. 
Iodoform has been long popular, but is now being relegated 
to the shades of disuse. This is so because this drug has a most 
disagreeable and objectionable odor, and it also produces cases 
of poisoning. For these reasons iodoform has gone practically 
out of employment. ’ But iodoform is a powder and cannot be 
brought into a solution, and, therefore, should it be non-poison- 
ous, it would not be applicable in a large number of cases. 
