The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-07
new ANTISEPTIC Is
PRAISED BY DOCTORS
Believe Carrel Discovery Will
BE Of Great Aid in War
Hospitals.
TRENCH VALUE LIMITED

The report from Paris. published In
THH SuN yesterday, that Or. Alexis
Carrel of the Rockefeller Institute Of
Medical Research and Or. Henry ID.
Dakin Of the Lister Institute had dis
covered a new antiseptic that had proved
eficacious In the treatment Of battle
wounds was especially interesting to
physicians here. Many o them nre
sware that DR.. Carrel has been making
exhaustive experiments in this particu-
lar field.
II was said at the Rockefeller Inst'-
tute that Or. Carrel had not yet sent
any announcement OF his discovery. and
other physicians with whom he has been
corresponding said they expected to
learn no more details until DR.. Carrel
and Or. Dakin have published their dis
They were satisfied nevertheless that In
authorizing the fact OF the discovery
DR.. Carrel had given assurance hat a
real contribution to medical science was
forthcoming.
Whatever DIR. Carrel says I would
accept snid DR.. Simon Baruch. be-
cause he Is a saine physiological sur
geon. He thinks physiologically. The
reported combination carbonate OF lime
and boric acid with hypochloride of
lime) depends upon the conditions. In
a hospital operating room it would GER
tainly prevent infection. but on the field
of battle or in the trenches n wound
becomes infected so quickly 1t Is al
most impossible TO prevent infection. In
the trenches. in which the emanations
from many bodies infect the soil and
clothing. a man who Ia wounded, II he
comes into contact with infected ma
terial or clothing saturated with In
fec;ed material. becomes injected almost
Immediately.
AN immediate application OF this
combination wov.d doubtless minimize
infection. but It Is impossible. even tc
the lay mind. that II would prevent |;
entirely. Nevertheless the idea appears
to be fraught with great promise.
"Hypochloride of lime Is used sue
cessfully for the disinfection of water
and boric acid is also a mild antiseptic.
For this reason II Is very probable tina,
a combination like that mentioned,
made under the trained scientific direc.
ton OF a man like Dr. Carrel. may be
regarded as extremely valuable
Or. Robert T. Morris, the author Of
several books n an authority on bac.
terra. said that the discovery Of ar
a%ntiseptic which would not destroy Tho
tissue about the wound would signalizt
a big advance in science
The old method" he said. was e
fight infection with g-rmicides. which
killed the bacteria, but We have since
learned that such treatment Il apt also
to kill the body cells. which are oui
most efficient allies in the recover
from n wound. Now We use a~ntiseptics
Carbolic acid. bicholide of mercury ana
peroxide preparations are all ger-ni
cides and their use should be confined
to the surgeon. On the other hand. II
this new compound boric acid Is q miit
and at the same TIM a very efficient
antiseptic. New York physicians ar,
now using antiseptics or salt solution'
In place Of germicides. These are nc
| harmful to the tissues about the wound.
DR.. Baruch's suggestion that tn
treatment Of battle wounds makes IL,
problem al antlseptics peculiarly diff
cult because OF the conditions Of mod
ern warfare was echoed in the commer
of other physicians who la been cor
responding with DIR. Carrel. They sai,
he had repeatedly pointed out the diff
culties put in the way of experiment be
cause of the infected soil Of battle
fields and the terrible condition of tn
trenches.