ROOMS FOR SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 185 



the antiseptic treatment is employed to arrest their deve- 

 lopment. But no one, as far as I know, has ever proved 

 this beyond doubt ; and such an arrangement of a room or 

 rooms as I suggest would, I believe, be one mode of ex- 

 perimenting, whereby the whole or a great part of a 

 serious obstacle to such researches might be eliminated. 

 But, in passing, I may mention one slight incident in 

 reference to the development of pus in wounds, which 

 would tend to show that certain germs floating in the 

 air are capable either directly or indirectly of developing 

 pus. Some years ago, when working with a solution of 

 albumen which had been exposed to the air for some time, 

 and which was then putrid and swarming with bacteria, I 

 accidentally cut my finger, and some of the putrid liquid 

 entered the wound. I washed it out as well as possible, 

 and thought nothing more of it. Next morning it was 

 slightly swollen and had gathered. I opened it with a 

 knife and microscopically examined the matter, expecting 

 to find bacteria ; but, to my surprise, no bacteria could be 

 observed, and all that could be seen were simply pus-cells. 

 The arrangements which I should suggest on the large 

 scale are : — a long room or series of rooms in a line, at one 

 end of which should be fitted a fan behind a good filter of 

 cotton wool ; a long pipe with a series of Bunsen burners 

 set along it, so that, when all were lit, a line or sheet of 

 flame would be produced which might be slowly passed 

 along and made to play on every part o£ the floor, walls, 

 and roof of the room, beginning near the end at which the 

 fan is working, and going gradually towards the door ; 

 by this means any spores adhering to the walls would be 

 destroyed, and no air could pass back to pollute the walls 

 or floor which had been thus purified. A stove might be 

 arranged at the door end of the room, by which cotton 

 garments to cover the ordinary clothes of the surgeons and 



