496 
Antiseptics  and  the  War. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
<•   November,  19 17. 
either  alone.  It  has  also  been  used  effectively  as  an  irrigation  in 
burns  before  the  application  of  the  paraffin  treatment. 
Malachite  green,  in  conjunction  with  bichloride  of  mercury,  has 
been  recently  used  in  "  Green  Spray."  This  is  made  of  equal  parts 
of  2  per  cent,  malachite  green,  dissolved  in  80  per  cent,  ethyl  alcohol 
and  2  per  cent,  bichloride  of  mercury,  dissolved  in  80  per  cent,  ethyl 
alcohol.  The  solutions  are  mixed  before  use,  and  form  a  chemical 
compound,  known  as  "  Micklethwait."  The  latter,  when  in  contact 
with  the  tissues,  is  dissociated,  forming  probably  an  albuminate  of 
each.  The  malachite  albuminate  is  readily  reduced  when  in  contact 
with  living  tissue  and  is  thus  capable  of  exerting  its  antiseptic  action, 
while  the  albuminate  of  mercury  is  only  gradually  absorbed,  exert- 
ing its  action  rather  slowly. 
The  "Green  Spray"  has  also  been  extensively  used,  with  suc- 
cess, as  an  antiseptic  spray  or  dressing  before  operations,  replacing 
iodine.   When  used,  it  stains  the  applied  area  green. 
In  addition  to  the  antiseptics  described  here,  as  being  the  ones 
most  widely  used  before  and  after  infection  has  set  in,  we  must  not 
forget  the  fact  that  the  antiseptics  and  methods  of  treatment,  in  use 
before  the  war,  are  still  in  use  and  practiced  to-day  by  many  at  the 
front.  Many  of  the  minor  infections  are  treated  with  normal  salt 
solution  or  hypertonic  saline  instead  of  Dakin-Carrel  or  other  solu- 
tions. Wright's  method  of  introducing  and  packing  the  wound  with 
saline  tablets  is  still  used  by  others.  However,  it  may  be  empha- 
sized that  such  treatment  has  not  proven  efficacious  in  the  many 
severe  wounds  contracted  in  the  war. 
Many  of  the  regimental  hospitals  introduce  various  mixtures 
into  fresh  wounds,  so  as  to  allow  them  to  diffuse  and  inhibit  bacterial 
growth,  until  thorough  disinfection  can  be  applied  later.  One  of 
these  combinations  is  a  powder,  called  "  Borral,"  which  is  a  mixture 
of  boric  and  salicylic  acids.  Another  is  a  cresol  paste,  made  by 
incorporating  20  per  cent,  of  cresol  in  a  mixture  of  lanolin  and  wax. 
Others  use  the  "  Bipp  Paste,"  this  sometimes  being  the  sole  treat- 
ment. The  latter  consists  of  one  part  by  weight  of  bismuth  sub- 
nitrate,  two  parts  by  weight  of  iodoform  and  sufficient  wax  to  make 
a  thick  paste. 
Besides  these,  the  widely  used  peroxide  of  hydrogen,  tincture  of 
iodine,  bichloride  of  mercury,  and  others  are  still  extensively  used 
under  certain  conditions,  while  the  coal  tar  derivatives,  such  as  the 
cresols  and  phenols,  are  most  widely  employed  in  assisting  as  de- 
odorants and  bactericides,  in  the  disposal  of  excreta  in  the  trenches. 
