368  The  New  Remedies  of  1917.  rAmMay,ri9^8.arm" 
action,  and,  if  possible,  to  discover  an  effective  and  inexpensive  sub- 
stitute for  use  on  a  large  scale.  Ordinary  paraffin  was  not  suffi- 
ciently plastic  when  applied  to  the  skin,  and  attempts  to  mix  resin 
with  it  failed,  owing  to  separation  of  the  resin  when  the  mixture 
was  heated.  It  was  found,  however,  that  when  hard  paraffin  was 
heated  to  1300  C.  by  means  of  super-heated  steam,  some  molecular 
change  took  place,  the  melting  point  was  reduced  several  degrees, 
and  the  substance  took  on  properties  similar  to  ambrine.  This 
paraffin,  with  the  addition  of  certain  antiseptics,  is  known  officially 
as  "No.  7  Paraffin,"  and  its  formula  is:  Resorcin,  1  (or  beta-naph- 
thol,  0.25)  ;  oil  of  eucalyptus,  2;  olive  oil,  5;  hard  paraffin,  67;  soft 
paraffin,  25.  The  method  of  application  is  as  follows :  The  burn  is 
washed  with  sterile  water,  and  carefully  dried;  a  layer  of  melted 
paraffin  is  then  painted  on,  and  covered  with  a  thin  layer  of  cotton 
wool ;  a  second  layer  of  melted  paraffin  is  applied  over  that,  and  the 
whole  covered  with  wool  and  a  bandage.  The  dressing  is  changed 
daily  at  first,  later  every  second  day. 
It  was  not  long  before  a  number  of  ambrine  substitutes  appeared 
on  the  market:  Ambryl,  Cerambine,  Parakao,  Parresine,  etc.,  are 
examples  of  these.  A  mass  of  literature  has  appeared  regarding 
this  treatment,  and  the  result  of  further  investigation  to  date  has 
brought  out  several  facts.  First,  pure  hard  paraffin,  of  suitable 
melting  point,  is  superior  to  any  mixture,  the  addition  of  wax  or 
resin  being  unnecessary.  Second,  the  pain  caused  by  the  first  ap- 
plication may  be  obviated  by  substitution  of  liquid  paraffin  for  melted 
paraffin  for  the  first  coat.  Third,  if  antiseptics  or  anaesthetics  are 
to  be  added,  these  should  be  incorporated  with  the  liquid  paraffin 
used  for  the  first  application,  and  not  with  the  hard  paraffin.  The 
paraffin  method  has  been  an  undoubted  success ;  it  is  clean,  simple, 
inexpensive,  and  efficient,  and,  if  liquid  paraffin  be  used  as  the  pre- 
liminary application,  practically  painless. 
Dealing  with  the  use  of  antiseptics  in  connection  with  the  paraffin 
treatment,  Hull  (B.M.J.,  Dec.  15)  finds  that  the  best  method  is  to 
paint  the  burn  with  a  solution  of  an  antiseptic  before  applying  the 
paraffin.  The  best  antiseptic  is,  he  finds,  acriflavine,  a  solution  of 
1 : 1,000  being  used.    He  also  gives  the  following  formulae: 
No.  7  Paraffin. — /J-naphthol,  0.25;  eucalyptus  oil,  2.0;  olive  oil, 
5.0;  soft  paraffin,  25.0;  hard  paraffin,  67.75. 
No.  10  Paraffin. — Scarlet  red,  0.2 ;  eucalyptus  oil,  2.0 ;  olive  oil, 
5.0;  hydrous  wool-fat,  4.0;  soft  paraffin,  21.0;  hard  paraffin,  67.8. 
