192 BACTERIOLOGY. 



an Arnold steam sterilizer for one hour or in an auto- 

 clave for thirty minutes. It is placed in a perforated 

 cylinder or wrapped in clean towels before putting in 

 the sterilizer, and only opened at the operation. 



lodoform gauze is best made by sprinkling sterile 

 iodoform on plain gauze sterilized as described above. 



Ligatures Catgut. Boil for one hour in alcohol under 

 pressure at about 97 C. It is often put in sealed glass 

 tubes, which are boiled under pressure. These remain 

 indefinitely sterile. The alcohol does not injure the 

 catgut. If desired, the catgut can be washed in ether 

 and can be soaked a short time in bichloride before 

 heating in alcohol. Boeckman, of St. Paul, suggested 

 wrapping the separate strands of catgut in paraffin 

 paper and then heating for three hours at 140. This 

 procedure prevents the drying out of the moisture and 

 fat from the catgut, so that it remains unshrivelled and 

 flexible after its exposure. Darling, of Boston, tested 

 this method and found it satisfactory. Dry formalde- 

 hyde gas does not penetrate sufficiently, and is not reli- 

 able. Silver wire, silk, silkworm-gut, rubber tubing, 

 and catheters are boiled the same as the instruments. 



The Skin of the Patient. This is washed thoroughly 

 with soap and water, then with alcohol, and finally with 

 1 : 1000 bichloride. A soap poultice is now placed on 

 for six to twelve hours, and after its removal the skin 

 is covered with a gauze compress previously moistened 

 with a 1 : 1000 bichloride of mercury solution. At the 

 operation the skin is washed off with alcohol and then 

 with the bichloride of mercury solution. 



The Hands. Furbinger's method, slightly modified, 

 is now much used, and gives good results : The hands 

 are washed in hot soap and water for five minutes, 



