IV.—Ektogan is a new dusting powder which is a mixture of zinc hydroxide and dioxide. It is equivalent to about 8 per cent of active oxygen. It is a yellowish-white odorless and tasteless powder, insoluble in water. It is used externally in wounds and in skin diseases as a moist dressing mixed with citric, tartaric, or {99} tannic acid, which causes the liberation of oxygen. With iodides it liberates iodine. It is stated to be strongly antiseptic; it is used in the form of a powder, a gauze, and a plaster.
Antiseptic Pencils.—
| I.— | Tannin | q. s. |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol, q. s | 1 part | |
| Ether, q. s | 3 parts |
Make into a mass, using as an excipient the alcohol and ether previously mixed. Roll into pencils of the desired length and thickness. Then coat with collodion, roll in pure silver leaf, and finally coat with the following solution of gelatine and set aside to dry:
| Gelatine | 1 drachm |
| Water | 1 pint |
Dissolve by the aid of a gentle heat.
When wanted for use, shave away a portion of the covering, dip the pencil into tepid water and apply.
II.—Pencils for stopping bleeding are prepared by mixing:
| Purified alum | 480 parts by weight |
| Borax | 24 parts by weight |
| Oxide zinc | 2 1/2 parts by weight |
| Thymol | 8 parts by weight |
| Formalin | 4 parts by weight |
Melting carefully in a water bath, adding some perfume, and forming mixture into pencils or cones.