X INTRODUCTION. 



3. Disinfection must be scrupulously applied in every de- 

 tail since upon its effectiveness must rest the verdict of 

 success or failure as measured by modern surgical thought. 

 The operator's finger nails should be well trimmed, smoothed 

 and cleansed, and his hands and arms thoroughly scrubbed 

 with a stiff brush in hot water and soap for a period of fifteen 

 minutes, and all dirt and old epidermal scales removed. 

 The parts should then be disinfected. This ma}^ be accom- 

 plished by immersing the hands in a hot concentrated solu- 

 tion of permanganate of potassium for ten minutes and then 

 decolorizing them in a strong solution of oxalic acid in boiled 

 water. 



Or the hands may be disinfected after the washing with 

 soap and water by immersing and scrubbing them for ten 

 minutes in a i to 1000 solution of corrosive sublimate, but 

 in order to make this thoroughly effective the solution needs 

 be alcoholic, or the hands should first be immersed in 

 alcohol, ether, or other substance capable of dissolving fats 

 and permitting the disinfectant to penetrate to every part 

 without being obstructed by sebum or fat. Great care 

 should be exercised by the student not to touch au}' object 

 with his hands after they have been disinfected for the 

 operation, unless such object has also been disinfected or 

 sterilized, or in case it becomes necessary to touch objects 

 not sterile, the disinfecting process should be repeated before 

 proceeding further with the operation. This constitutes 

 one of the most difficult of all details for the beginner to 

 acquire, and each failure should be remedied by repeating 

 the process over and over until the habit of maintaining 

 effectual asepsis is acquired and fixed. 



The operative field should always be carefully shaved be- 

 fore beginning the operation, and the shaved area should 

 always be ample, so as to insure against contamination 

 from adjacent hairs, as well as to give a clear view of the 

 field. The area should then be disinfected in a reliable 



