172 GENERAL THERAPEUTICS FOR VETERINARIANS 



iodine). Moreover, disinfection of the hands was difficult and 

 uncertain and the introduction of sterilized operating gloves did 

 not improve conditions. 



The aseptic method is not very well suited to veterinary sur- 

 gery. To this I have already directed attention in another place 

 (General Surgery). In veterinary practice, old infected wounds 

 are usually met with and for these thorough antisepsis is necessary 

 rather than asepsis. For fresh operation wounds in the domestic 

 animals the aseptic method is only exceptionally applicable, as for 

 example in a clinic; and even in well-equipped veterinary hospitals 

 the greatest difficulties are encountered in maintaining asepsis, 

 especially in horses, as a dressing can be applied only in a very 

 limited number of cases and infection of the wound during the 

 operation frequently cannot be avoided even with the greatest 

 care. Moreover, in addition to the contact infection, the air in- 

 fection (dust, hair) is of great import, and against this asepsis 

 has proven powerless. For these reasons, antisepsis is to be 

 preferred in veterinary practice to asepsis as the more certain 

 method. 



Colyseptics and Antiseptics. — A pathogenic or putrefactive 

 microorganism can be made harmless in two ways. Its vital 

 activity can be destroyed or its development can be prevented. 

 In the first instance the action is antiseptic ; in the latter, colyseptic. 

 Drugs with antiseptic properties are naturally more valuable than 

 those which have only a colyseptic action. Therefore, a strong 

 antiseptic action is the first essential in a good disinfectant; it 

 must not only prevent the development and multiplication of 

 pathogenic bacteria but must destroy their vitality. As a general 

 rule, the antiseptics exert only a colyseptic action when sufficiently 

 diluted. On the other hand, there are several disinfectants which 

 are only colyseptic in the strongest concentration and have no 

 antiseptic action or only a very weak one. 



The division of the disinfectants into antiseptics and coly- 

 septics is only possible upon the basis of bacteriological experi- 

 ments. In order to test the colyseptic properties of a substance, 

 bacteria capable of development are placed upon a suitable culture 



