42 THE GERM THEORY OF DISEASE. 



to reduce it to practice in surgery. Antiseptics had already 

 been long known, and Mr. Lister began his operations by 

 thoroughly disinfecting his own hands, all instruments, sponges, 

 and everything that would come in contact with the wound, 

 including the patient's skin in the neighborhood of the part 

 to be operated upon. He then caused the air in which the 

 operation was done to be disinfected by a continuous spray 

 of dilute carbolic acid, until the wound was closed. Finally 

 the wound was so sealed up as to prevent the ingress of germs 

 from without. He found in actual practice that operation 

 wounds thus treated generally healed without inflammation, 

 and without one drop of pus ; simulating in every respect 

 the healing of subcutaneous wounds. The publishing of these 

 results by Mr. Lister, in 1865, startled the surgeons of the 

 world, and many grave heads shook doubtingly, as the words 

 were pondered. 



The new plan, however, was tried, far and wide. It was a 

 matter that every skillful surgeon could do for himself, test 

 for himself, and judge of for himself. Although failures 

 were made, the aggregate of results were so vastly superior 

 to anything heretofore attained, that it completely revolu- 

 tionized hospital practice throughout Europe. 



EXPLANATORY. 



This statement requires a word of explanation. The effect 

 was not so much felt in private practice, or in small private 

 institutions. The reason for this difference may be explained 

 in this way. It had long been demonstrated that large public 

 hospitals became unfavorable to operation or accident wounds. 

 In large institutions, all open wounds were prone to take a 

 bad course as compared with similar wounds in private prac- 

 tice. The supposition that such hospitals became infected 

 with this class of disease-producing germs had already been 



