Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-12-01

infection.
But the Carrel-Dakin solu-
ton, although it was the most
marvellous antiseptic the world
had ever seen, would not
keep" It had to be made
daily for the hospitals by ex-
perts and the general public
was denied it's protection.
Experimental Six Years
For six years chemists have
been experimenting with the
antiseptic in the hope of over
coming this defect. They have
at last succeeded. Zonite, as
the new product is called, is the
Carrel-Dakin solution not only
stabilized but concentrated and
perfected - thus making it
available for use in our daily
lives. Although absolutely
harmless and non-poisonous, it
is shown by standard labora-
tory tests to have more than
twice the germicidal strength
Of pure carbolic acid.
An interview has been obtained
with the chemist who is chiefly
responsible for giving this miracu-
lous antiseptic to the general pub
! lie. The interview took place in a
! western city where the laboratory
! of the chemist is located Part of
| the interview is as follows:
| ITO begin with" said the inter-
viewer, 'let me congratulate you
upon giving this antiseptic to the
world"
Don't congratulate me-" the chem
list said quickly. II claim little credit
| for Zonite. The Rockefeller Institute
| people first showed the antiscptic
possibilities of NaOCl to the surgical
| world. The CarreI- Dakin solution
| is the real discovery-not Zonite."
But you have a concentration of
this solution that will keep and they
| haven't Isn't that true?"
YES" admitted the chemist,
that is true"
| well, then" said the interview
err. tell me about it. What got you
started on your experiments and
how long have you been at them?"
Real Antiseptic Long Needed
! Several years before war was
| declared" said the chemist, II rec
ognized the possibilities of NaOCl
and had been experimenting with
it. 1 knew, as did every surgeon
and chemist in the world. that
there was no. real antiseptic that
! could be applied in strong solution
10 living tissue. / was not sur
prised, therefore, to hear of the
! frightful wound infections in the
! Allied hospitals. What can a sur
! geon do with carbolic acid, iodine,
| bichloride and stuff like that? If
! he uses them at sufficient strength
| stroy body tissue. If he dilutes
| them to a point where they are
| non-irritating they won't destroy
! bacteria, and there you are.
| when the Carrel- Dakin solution
i was discovered the only thing we
knew about it over here at first was
| that it was powerful artiseptic,
| that it was harmless to tissue and
that it had checked wound infcc-
F.! ton in the war hospitals. Finally
! the formula was published in various
medical journals and l learned Just
| what It was and that it was unstable.
! 1t could not be placed in the hands
of the general public. because it had
| to be prepared by laboratory method
! the day it was used
But my faith in NaOCl was re-
newcd and | got to thinking. Here
/ was the only real germicidal anti
septic in the world that could be
applied freely to the human body.
! 1t would be of tremendous benefit
in every home if a way could be
/ found to stabilize it, My assistants
4; and talked it over several days and
decided to continue experimenting
! where Carrel- Dakin left off. Our
work for the first two years was dis
! couraging and we tried many differ
ent chemicals in new combinations
| yielding the same active principles.
| but got no results. Finally through
high voltage electric currents of a
certain amperage. plus pressures and
balanced temperatures. we saw a
light. It was only a dim light. 1t
took us four years more to reach
our final result-six years in all.
However, Zonite is all we hoped
| for-and more. Not only will it keep
| its strength indefinitely. but it is con-
centrated. 1t has about twice the
germicidal strength of the Carrel-
Dakin solution. with even greater
healing power.
IF Won want q Carrel Dakin snlu-