STERILIZATION AND DISINFECTION IN THE PHARMACY 361 



for one hour at 100 C. in the hot-air sterilizer. For this purpose the form 

 of Arnold steam sterilizer shown in Fig. 18 will be found very useful. 



b. Sewing materials, such as needles, forceps, catgut, etc., require 

 careful sterilization before using. All metal instruments and appliances, 

 including silver wire, can be sterilized in 5 per cent, carbolic acid if nec- 

 essary or they may be boiled for 30 to 50 minutes. Wipe perfectly dry 

 with sterile towels and place in hot-air sterilizer for one hour at 100 C. 

 In order to keep them in sterile condition for immediate use they must be 

 kept wrapped in sterilized cloth or cotton. 



c. Catgut requires thorough sterilization as not infrequently spores of 

 disease germs (as anthrax) are present. The so-called cumol (cumene) 

 method of catgut sterilization is quite generally adopted in the hospitals of 

 Germany and of other European countries. Wind the catgut in the usual 

 ring form, dry in hot-air sterilizer for two hours at 70 C., place rings in a 

 vessel (beaker, etc.) with cumol on sand-bath and heat to 155 C. or 165 C. 

 (the boiling-point of cumol), turn off the gas and allow to remain in the hot 

 cumol for one hour. The cumol dish should be covered with a fine mesh 

 wire screen to guard against catching fire. Take the catgut rings out of the 

 cumol by means of sterile pincers and place in benzine.for three hours, then 

 allow the benzine to evaporate in sterile Petri dishes. 



d. Silver catgut is preferably sterilized in i per cent, silver citrate 

 (itrol) or i per cent, silver lactate (actol), allowing it to remain for six hours 

 which destroys even the anthrax spores. Next expose the catgut to light 

 (in sterile dishes) for a day or two, then wind or fasten on glass and pre- 

 serve in 95 per cent, alcohol with 10 per cent, glycerin. Actol and itrol 

 ionize silver far less actively than silver nitrate, hence their preference. 



e. Catheters, drainage tubing and other rubber materials are sterilized 

 by boiling in water with 5 per cent, sodic hydrate. Rubber goods will not 

 stand prolonged and frequent boiling. Do not sterilize metal ware with 

 rubber goods. 



e. Sterilization of Medicines. As a rule, medicines which are prepared 

 under aseptic surroundings and conditions do not require sterilization. 

 However, the ideal conditions rarely exist and subsequent sterilizations 

 become desirable and even necessary. 



Tooth powders, dusting powders and similar substances may be ster- 

 ilized at a dry temperature of 70 C., for three to four hours. Salves and 

 pastes are difficult to sterilize. Low temperatures (from 60 C. to 70 C.) 

 for several hours may be employed. 



Solutions for subcutaneous injection, for wound irrigation, for bladder 

 irrigation, solutions of boric acid, of tannic acid, aquae, normal salt solu- 

 tions and all weaker solutions of chemicals, intended for washes and irriga- 

 tion in surgery, should be sterilized by boiling for five minutes. Strong 



