Surgery

Etching lunar caustic (2)

   Silver nitrate (Argentum nitricum) is a strong oxidizer. It can attack organic tissue, reducing silver ions to elemental silver and oxidizing the organic material. Silver nitrate + potassium nitrate rods are used as "hellstone", for example to remove proliferating tissue or warts. Silver nitrate + potassium nitrate rods are used as "hellstone", for example to remove proliferating tissue or warts.

In dermatology, silver nitrate is used as an envelope with a 0.1-5% solution and used as eye drops (0.5-1.0%) to protect against blindness in neonates in suspected contagion of the mother with gonorrhea. In medicine, silver nitrate is also used as an antiseptic and astringent (as 0.5% solutions for topical treatment).


We are interested in the corrosive action of the gemstone, which is used in the treatment of skin growths, ulcers and warts.


At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, the pins were embedded in a silver fixture - the whole thing looked like a pencil: 10 cm. Length, with screw cap. Later, it was a wooden fixture - recently plastic.

The here presented Höllensteinstift of the company Braun / Melsungen is embedded in a holder made of wood and comes from the estate of colleague Camille GLAESENER (1887-1952) from Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.