^"jJnuary^^Q™:}       Tkerapeutic  Uses  for  Chemicals.  15 
Dr.  David  I.  Macht  (Pharmacologic  Laboratory  of  Johns  Hopkins 
University)  incidentally  tasted  a  minute  quantity  of  benzyl  alcohol 
and  discovered  that  his  tongue  was  completely  anesthetized  by  it, 
the  numbness,  coolness  and  hardness,  similar  to  the  action  of  co- 
caine, continuing  for  over  two  hours. 
This  accidental  discovery  was  followed  by  numerous  experiments 
on  animals  and  subsequently  in  minor  operations  and  dentistry, 
with  results  that  compare  favorably  with  any  of  the  known  local 
anesthetics  and  in  some  respects  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the 
benzyl  alcohol. 
Fortunately,  benzyl  alcohol  is  soluble  in  water  and  normal  salt 
solution  to  the  extent  of  4  per  cent,  and  this  is  sufficiently  strong 
for  use  as  a  local  anesthetic  by  injection.  When  used  as  an  anes- 
thetic in  from  i  to  4  per  cent,  solutions  in  normal  salt,  it  has  never 
been  found  to  cause  any  marked  irritation  or  destruction  of  tissue, 
certainly  less  than  that  produced  by  equivalent  amounts  of  cocaine 
or  quinine  and  urea  hydrochloride  solutions. 
The  solutions  may  be  sterilized  by  boiling  without  causing  de- 
composition or  loss  of  benzyl  alcohol.  When  used  on  the  eye  it  was 
found  desirable  to  add  a  small  amount  of  epinephrin  (i  in  20,000), 
thus  avoiding  all  irritation.  A  comprehensive  study  of  its  anesthetic 
and  pharmacologic  action  will  be  found  in  the  Journal  of  Pharma- 
cology and  Experimental  Therapeutics,  191 8,  p.  263. 
Solution  of  Zinc  Chloride. — William  Wayne  Babcock,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  in  the  Medical  Corps  of  the  United  States  Army,  stationed 
at  General  Hospital  No.  6,  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia,  has  recently 
reported  the  successful  use  of  solution  of  zinc  chloride  (prepared 
by  saturating  U.  S.  P.  hydrochloric  acid  with  zinc)  in  the  treatment 
of  chronic  infected  wounds  of  soft  tissue  and  also  of  bone  involve- 
ment. 
The  patients  were  all  returned  from  the  war  areas  and  had 
already  received  months  of  treatment,  usually  with  Dakin's  Solution, 
and  had  been  operated  upon  at  least  several  times.  The  wounds 
showed  a  variety  of  infecting  micro-organisms,  and  the  solution  of 
zinc  chloride  was  used  as  a  sterilizing  agent,  the  tissue,  which  it 
simultaneously  destroyed,  being  completely  removed  as  a  part  of  the 
operation.  This  procedure  permitted  the  immediate  closing  of 
wounds,  the  avoiding  of  painful  dressings,  and  a  large  percentage  of 
permanent  recoveries. 
