Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1890. 
A  n  tiseptic  Ma teria Is. 
557 
was  long  supposed  to  be  the  secret  of  its  value  in  the  treatment  of 
wounds,  but  recently  it  has  been  conclusively  proven  that  as  a 
germicide  it  is  feeble  and  acts  within  narrow  limits.  Further  inves- 
tigation into  its  mode  of  action  has  elicited  that  it  is  a  chemical 
antidote  to  the  ptomaines.  The  ptomaines,  the  product  of  the 
bacteria,  are  exceedingly  devitalizing  to  the  tissues,  and  their 
destruction  by  the  iodoform  enables  the  tissues  to  destroy  the  germs 
or  resist  their  malign  assaults.  In  dressing  wounds,  the  surgeon 
must  hereafter  use  two  different  sets  of  antiseptics.  He  must  first 
seek,  as  far  as  possible,  to  exclude  disease  germs  or  to  render  them 
inactive,  and  for  this  purpose  he  must  use  germicides,  such  as  cor- 
rosive sublimate.  He  must  next  endeavor,  by  applying  agents  like 
iodoform,  to  prevent  formation  of  poisonous  chemical  substances  in 
the  wound,  or  to  decompose  them  and  render  them  inactive  if  once 
they  have  been  formed." 
In  the  writer's  experience,  the  demand  for  oakum  and  jute  has 
almost  ceased  ;  absorbent  cotton  being  used  instead.  Lint  is,  com- 
paratively, but  little  used,  while  borated,  carbolated  and  salicylated 
cottons  are  but  semi-occasionally  called  for.  Out  of  the  large 
number  of  medicated  cottons  that  have  been  introduced,  there  is 
now  in  strong  and  active  demand  but  one,  namely,  corrosive  sub- 
limated, or  "  sublimated,"  cotton,  and  the  demand  is  constantly 
increasing  both  for  it  and  absorbent  cotton. 
For  the  preparation  of  sublimated  cotton,  the  following  formula  is 
recommended  : 
Mercuric  chloride,   35  gr. 
Ammonium  chloride,   35  gr. 
Alcohol,   1  pint. 
Boiled  water,   4  pints. 
Absorbent  cotton,   1  pound  (av.) 
Dissolve  the  sublimate  in  the  alcohol,  add  the  boiled  water  con- 
taining the  ammonium  chloride  dissolved  in  it,  immerse  the  cotton, 
kneading  thoroughly,  so  as  to  have  the  antiseptic  solution  uniformly 
distributed  through  it  and  so  that  none  of  the  liquid  be  left.  Dry. 
The  product,  when  dry,  contains  one-half  of  one  per  cent.,  of 
mercuric  chloride,  in  a  form  not  reducible  to  mercurous  chloride  by 
the  organic  cotton,  as  occurs  after  a  time,  when  the  corrosive 
chloride  alone  is  used. 
By  far  the  most  important  of  the  antiseptic  dressings  are  the 
