CARBOLIC  ACID  PLASTER. 
153 
been  exposed  to  the  heat  of  a  water  bath,  previous  to  being 
tared),  and  heat  on  a  water  bath  until  thoroughly  dry ;  allow  the 
filter  and  contents  to  cool  under  a  bell  glass  over  sulphuric  acid, 
and  carefully  weigh.  Multiply  the  weight  of  the  sulphide  of 
bismuth  by  the  fraction  -908  to  find  its  equivalent  in  teroxide  of 
bismuth.  Apply  the  same  ratio  to  the  remainder  of  the  bismuth 
solution,  and  dilute  it  to  such  a  degree  that  each  fluidrachm 
shall  contain  one  grain  of  teroxide  of  bismuth,  seven-eighths  of 
which  measure  must  be  made  with  distilled  water,  and  the  re- 
mainder with  alcohol.  The  average  product  of  liquor  bismuthi 
obtained  in  several  trials  was  51  fluidounces,  being  about  two 
per  cent,  better  results  than  those  obtained  by  Mr.  Ebert's  pro- 
cess. 
Boston,  Mass.  — Proc.  Am.Phar.  Assoc.  1868. 
CARBOLIC  ACID  PLASTER. 
By  William  Martindale. 
Professor  Lister,  of  the  Glasgow  Infirmary,  having  been  led 
by  the  experiments  of  M.  Pasteur,  proving  the  germ  theory  of 
fermentation  and  putrefaction,  and  the  action  that  carbolic  acid 
has  of  destroying  the  vitality  of  these  germs,  has  on  these  founded 
what  is  called  "the  antiseptic  system  of  treatment  in  surgery," 
a  series  of  papers  on  which  he  has  published  in  the  "British 
Medical  Journal."  The  principle  on  which  he  proceeds  is,  that 
after  the  operation,  air  shall,  as  much  as  possible,  be  excluded 
from  the  wound,  and  that  the  dressings  applied  shall  yield  a 
constant  supply  of  carbolic  acid  in  the  state  of  vapor,  so  that 
any  "  germs  of  organisms  "  which  might  obtain  access  to  the 
part  would  become  inert,  their  vitality  being  destroyed.  By 
this  means  no  sloughing  takes  place,  putrefaction  is  entirely  ar- 
rested, and  the  formation  of  unhealthy  j92^s,  which  in  the  ordinary 
treatment  causes  such  a  drain  upon  the  patient,  is  avoided.  It 
is,  in  fact,  "healing  by  the  first  intent." 
Among  the  dressings  employed,  one  of  the  first  he  used  was 
a  carbolic  acid  putty,  made  by  mixing  boiled  linseed  oil  and 
whiting,  with  the  addition  of  one  part  of  carbolic  acid  to  four  of 
the  oil.    But  this  he  found  a  somewhat  clumsy  and  inconvenient 
