The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-04-10
SOMETHING FOR CUTS, BURNS, STINGs
 AND SKIN TEMPTATIONS

Some of your articles am saving TOT future reference writes a man as I intend to speno the greater mart of my life in the tropics away from civilization where g. go6d knowledge of n.y. giene and sanitation is more necessary than u is here where one can call In a physiclah'
 Are boric acid and boracic acid the same thinp or are they different? l understand that some hospitals refined borax as an anu L septic instead of borc acid. Is this true! ls borax good antiseptic? Would mixture ol powdered boric acid and petroatum be good application for cuts, burns, etc? IT so, what proportions of each should be used? C. C. P3
 Yes, boric acid is the modern spelling for the he same substance formerly called boraclc acld. Boric acid is less freely soluble Tn water than borax but more freely soluble in alcohol whicn does not dissolve borax at all. Borax IS the sodium salt of boric acd-sodium borate' anu it is alkaline in taste and reacuon
 Either borax or borc acid is a comparatively feeble antiseptic but these feeble &ntiseptlcS are popular in hospitals because they are less irritating than other antiseptics and may DC freely used without much risk of doing harm.
 Tn my opinion-I can find distnterested scientific comparson-bOric acid and borax are equally good antiseptics and believe one can obtain every possible good effect from the use of boric acid q don't know why we prefer boric acid to borax in general practice to-day) as an antseptic medicament or agent that one can expect from any antseptic remedy.
 Plain Boric Acid Ointment is official in the British Pharmocopoeia. It is made or one ounce of boric acid in fine powder Wlth nine ounces of white paraffin ointment. farahi ointment is a mixture Ot three ounces OI Hdiu pa raffin wax and ounces of soft para fin, which is the same as pure mineral oil called petrolatum in the United States. For tropical climate the hard and soft paraffin IS mixed about half and half Such a 10 per cent boric acid ointment is excellent all-around salve to use as a first aid or home dressing for burns, cuts, stings. or skin irritations where an antiseptc, non-irrtating protective dressing is required. It is quite as healing and sooth-
 ing as any such remedy can be- and 1t IS safer than many nostrums offered for such use
 Although boric acid borax is antlseptic (retards or prevents multiplication of bacteria) one should regard it as though it were merely so much sterile (germ -free) petrolatuIn or paraffin For that matter, it is always more cleanly and safer to apply such salve directly from a collapsible tube. It is difficult or 1m- possible to prevent contamination of a box or far of salve once the container has been opened and some of the ointment taken out. People who keep boxes or jars Of petrolatun ,petroleum jey) in the house should sterlliZe the supply from time to time by boiling or cooking for 30 minutes.
 Boric acid of the ingredients Of "Oid Doc Salve" tube of which IS included in the Pocket Emergency Kit. We are glad to mall to any correspondent who incloses stamped en- yeiope bearing his address instructions tor as- sem bling and using the Pocket Emergency Kit.