80 WOUND TREATMENT 



iites. Cutting instruments are harmed somewhat by 

 repeated prolonged heating ; our present plan is to pick 

 up the knives from the boiling water after two or three 

 minutes and complete the sterilization by placing them 

 in a jar containing denatured alcohol. Alcohol steriliza- 

 tion alone for scalpels and bistouries is depended upon 

 by many, and if the immersion is long it may be regarded 

 an appropriate and safe expedient for the particular 

 purpose of assuring the best sterilization possible with- 

 out injuring the keen edges of sharp knives. 



Rubber goods (gloves, catheters, drainage tubes, 

 syringes) may be subjected to a certain amount of 

 boiling without injury, and as these are not as a rule 

 very costly, such injury as they do sustain is unim- 

 portant. Costly instruments of this class can also be 

 made safe by immersing them for some time in strong 

 solutions of mercuric chlorid. 



The resoiling of instruments during operations must 

 be prevented by taking care that they do not come in 

 contact with soiled objects. If they become infected by 

 contact 'with pus or other infected substances they 

 should be set aside and not placed upon or near clean 

 instruments on the tray. The use of a little caution 

 and plenty of common sense is needed in handling in- 

 struments, for otherwise the whole plan of clean operat- 

 ing will be futile. 



The Surgeon's and the Assistant's Hands 



The hands as carriers of infection into wounds we 

 treat deserve more than ordinary consideration, because 

 the hands of surgeons practicing among animals are 

 always liable to infect wounds. In short, the hands 

 belong to the first rank as infection carriers, not only 

 of ordinary pyogenic infection but also of infections of 



