Formalin, a powerful antiseptic and disinfectant, is a watery solution of formaldehyde (formic aldehyde; see ALDEHYDE). It is largely used on the Continent for preserving milk, and is not so innocuous as is sometimes represented.
Formalin
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 4: Dionysius to Friction, p. 737
Source scan(s): p. 0754