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Arch Ophthalmol. 1999;117:1226.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 99 words of the full text and any section headings.

Knives with handles of different materials were exposed for varying periods to the action of a number of antiseptic agents. As a result of these experiments, alcohol was found to be harmless for short exposures (less than twenty-four hours). Prolonged exposure caused rusting. Formaldehyde gas given off by formol in a closed vessel was harmless within an hour or two. When the exposure was continued for twenty-four hours, small whitish spots appeared, which could be wiped off, but left a slightly roughened surface.

Reference: Lippincott JA. On continuous sterilization for knives and other cutting instruments. Arch Ophthalmol. 1898;27:405.