FRACTURE OF THE PATELLA 469 



eighteen surgeons had been previously consulted. I trust no one here will 

 suppose that I mentioned this circumstance for the purpose of glorifying 

 myself. I mentioned it in order to emphasize what I believe to be the truth, 

 that by antiseptic means we can do, and are bound to do, operations of the 

 greatest importance for our patients' advantage, which, without strict anti- 

 septic means, the best surgeon would not be justified in recommending. How 

 wise those eighteen gentlemen were in counselling against operative inter- 

 ference, provided they were not prepared to operate strictly antiseptically, 

 I think we must be all agreed. As regards the operative procedure in that 

 case, it was of the most simple character ; any first year's student could have 

 done the operation exactly as well as myself ; and, therefore, I trust I shall 

 not be misunderstood by its being supposed that I came here to extol my 

 own skill. That which justified me in operating in that case was simply the 

 knowledge that strict antiseptic treatment would convert serious risk into 

 complete safety. 



I should have liked, if time had permitted, to have said a few words as 

 to w^hat seem to be the essential points as regards antiseptic treatment. If 

 I say any words at all now, they will be exceedingly few. I should just like 

 to make this remark, however, that nowadays antiseptic treatment is not 

 a very complicated business, either in theory or in practice. First, as to 

 theory, we do not require any scientific theory to enable us to believe in anti- 

 septic treatment. You need not believe in the germ theory at all ; if you 

 are not convinced of the truth of the germ theory of putrefaction and of septic 

 agencies generally, no matter whatsoever with reference to antiseptic practice. 

 All that you have to believe is that there are such things as putrefaction and 

 other septic agencies, and that our wounds are liable to these, and that they 

 are very pernicious, and that these things come from without, and that we 

 have the means of preventing them by various chemical agencies. That is 

 all that we require ; and I think anj'body who knows the present state of 

 surgical practice must admit these to be truisms. It has sometimes been 

 a great grief to me to think that, because gentlemen are not convinced of the 

 truth of the germ theory out and out, therefore they lay aside antiseptic treat- 

 ment altogether. And then as to practice ; it is not a \crv difficult thing 

 to wash your hands in a carbolic solution, and have your instruments in this 

 carbolic solution for a quarter of an hour before you operate. It is not a very 

 difficult thing to wrap round the limb a suitable envelope of antiseptic material. 

 What I believe to be one of the most important things of all is, strictly to 

 maintain this rule inviolate, which I insist upon with my dressers, and which 

 I confess I have insisted upon more of late years than 1 used, ami that is. 



