746 
W. J. MARTIN. 
the practicing veterinarian exercise caution in performing new 
or untried surgical operations upon valuable subjects. 
While upon the subject of surgical operations, I wish to call 
your attention to the gratifying results to be attained in treat¬ 
ing surgical wounds of the lower animals antiseptically. An 
erroneous idea appears to exist among a large number of veteri¬ 
narians that it is an utter impossibility to perform aseptic opera¬ 
tions in veterinary surgical practice. I wish to say that a faith¬ 
ful attempt to carry out surgical asepsis in veterinary practice 
will be rewarded with the most gratifying results. The day of 
“ laudable pus” in veterinary operations (at least in the major¬ 
ity of them) is a thing of the past ; for we know beyond the 
shadow of a doubt that the formation of pus is a physical im¬ 
possibility without the presence of pus-forming bacteria. 
A subject to which I wish to call your attention is the 
treatment of equine tetanus by the hypodermic injections of car¬ 
bolic acid. This method has been employed to a limited extent 
in cases of acute tetanus in human practice, and with the most 
excellent results. It has also been somewhat extensively used 
in England by a few veterinarians, who have reported good 
results with it. I have, during the past summer, used it to a 
limited extent, and am satisfied that in cases of acute tetanus, if 
it is given early and in large doses, it is superior to any other 
drug in our materia medica for the treatment of this most fatal dis¬ 
ease. Carbolic acid does beyond a doubt act as an antitoxin to 
the ptomaine intoxication of the blood in cases of tetanus. But 
to accomplish this result it must be administered early in the 
initial stage of the disease and also in very large doses. The 
formula used by me in administering carbolic acid in cases of 
tetanus is as follows : Carbolic acid, 95 per cent., 1 ounce; 
boiled or distilled water, 4 drachms ; glycerine, 4 drachms. 
Mix. Sig. 2 drachms of this mixture is injected into the neck 
every 2 hours for the first 24 hours to 48 hours, and about every 
4 hours afterwards. The effects of these injections after the 
first 24 hours are most favorable ; the spasmodic contractions of 
the muscles of the neck are lessened in force and intensity, the 
