1896.J MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 377 



The process is merely a mechanical cleansing, and not 

 a sterilization with a germicidal fluid. Inasmuch as the 

 orifices of the Meibomian glands and the edges of the lids 

 are fruitful sources of infection to the conjunctivae, these 

 especially should receive a cleansing eitiicr mechanical or 

 germicidal before an operation. 



Dressings over the eye furnish the necessary heat and 

 moisture for bacterial growth. To determine how far an 

 aseptic dressing placed over the eye affords a good breed- 

 ing-place for bacteria, twenty dressings were examined. 

 Nine of these came from eyes that had been operated on 

 and eleven from eyes that had not been operated on, but 

 had been merely bandaged with sterilized dressings for 

 twenty-four hours. All of these dressings contained 

 large numbers of bacteria. Those in the dressings from 

 the operated eyes differed little in respect to the number 

 and kind of bacteria from those in the non-operated eyes. 

 The staphylococcus albus was present in thirteen dress- 

 ings in large numbers, and in four of the dressings the 

 the aureus was also found in considerable numbers, yet in 

 none of the operated eyes was there any suppuration after 

 the operation. The aureus was present in three of the 

 bandages from operated eyes and in one of the bandages 

 from non-operated eyes. 



Aseptic dressings should be applied only where the 

 wound or area of application is aseptic. Antiseptic dress- 

 ings would seem better to use over the eyes, as the dress- 

 ings are applied to an infected area. 



Incidentally, while making these examinations, cultures 

 were also made from six cases of phlyctenular conjunc- 

 tivitis, three cases of catarrhal conjunctivitis, and four 

 cases of ulcerative keratitis. Three tubes from the cases 

 of phlyctenular conjunctivitis were sterile, possibly be- 

 cause the cases were in the later stages of the disease. 

 The three remaining tubes gave pure cultures of the 

 staphylococcus aureus. 



