76 CICATRIZATION OF WOUNDS 



from beginning to end. When, after about eight days, we felt 

 sure that the wound was healing 'normally' we replaced the 

 standard dressing by another one with the antiseptic to be 

 tried out. If there was a slowing up of the cicatrization, that 

 is to say, a difference between the calculated figures and those 

 of the area measured, it indicated either that the new sub- 



S 



140 



6 10 W 18 22 26 I^J 5 9 15 



FEB. MARCH 



17 21 25 29 21^ 6 



APRIL 



10 14 18 22 26 



FIG. 15. LARGE ABDOMINAL WOUND, CICATRIZED IN THREE MONTHS. 



IMPORTANT INFECTION FROM THE lOTH TO THE i8TH OF FEBRUARY, 



FOLLOWED, AFTER STERILIZATION, BY A RAPID ACCELERATION 



stances had not maintained the bacteriological sterility (this 

 fact was controlled microscopically) or else that it was irritating 

 and impeded epithelization. To be certain that the dis- 

 crepancy was not due to other factors, the dressings with the 

 Dakin or Chloramine solution were reapplied for four or 

 eight days. In general, these dressings not only brought the 

 cicatrization curve back to normal but determmed an accelera- 

 tion which caused it to catch up with lost time. That is, when 

 the irritation due to infection had not lasted too long. This 

 was absolutely unforeseen. Fig. 15, which represents the 



