348 
J. J. DRASKY. 
tive needle should be made of iron, the needle becomes dis¬ 
solved by the acids set free, and the phosphate, sulphate, and 
chloride of iron are formed, principally the chloride. From 
this fact we would infer that iron needles would be useful when 
coagulation of the blood is the result aimed at, and there is no 
doubt they assist the accomplishment of such a result to a con¬ 
siderable extent. Suppose we use zinc needles, we have chlor¬ 
ide of zinc formed, which is a powerful escharotic, and assists 
materially in hastening the destruction of morbid growths. 
I have used these needles with a weak galvanic current and 
long applications, for the destruction of malignant tumors, and 
believe it to be in many cases the most appropriate treatment. 
The diseased tissue is chemically dissolved under the action of 
the current, which at the same time influences the morbid ner¬ 
vous impulse which caused the secretion of the mistaken cells 
in the first place, and the electro-chemical action of the already 
disintegrating structure on the needle forms, molecule by mole¬ 
cule, one‘of the most powerful escharotics, which destroys, 
molecule by molecule, any of the diseased mass that may pos¬ 
sibly escape the action of the current, and not only that, but it 
acts as a powerful antiseptic on the slough that otherwise might 
become offensive before separation had time to take place, and 
still further it certainly hastens the separation. Another ad¬ 
vantage of the operation is that it is comparatively painless, in 
some cases entirely so ; electrolysis of the tissue takes place so 
slowly that the chloride of zinc is also formed slowly, and im¬ 
mediately uniting with the tissue that is already half numbed 
by the action of the current, very little pain if any is produced. 
In fact the strength of the current can be so arranged that no 
pain is caused. In my opinion, the electro-chemical treatment 
far surpasses ordinary electrolysis in certain cases, where total 
destruction of the part, in as short a time as possible, and with 
a minimum amount of pain, is desired ; still a slight eschar 
around the uninsulated part of the needle is unavoidable. 
u In such operation it behooves us to make this latter as 
slight as possible, which can be done by diminishing the 
