30 SPRING-TIME SURGERY 



By means of large tampons, an enormous rent 

 in the abdominal floor may be successfully closed, 

 and prolapse obviated. In large rents, the safest 

 way to tamponade is to take a broad and ample 

 piece of cheesecloth, and spread it with its center 

 over the wound. Then take masses of convenient 

 size of gauze, cheesecloth or cotton, boiled, im- 

 mersed in a disinfectant and pressed dry, and 

 push them in to the internal ring, inside the sheet 

 of cheesecloth. No matter should it extend a few 

 inches into the abdomen, it cannot escape. When 

 the wound is well filled, the tampon is secured in 

 place by scrotal sutures. 



After twenty-four to forty-eight hours, the 

 sutures are to be removed, the packing inside the 

 sheet of cheesecloth cautiously withdrawn, fol- 

 lowed by the sheet of cheesecloth itself. Blood 

 clots are then to be mopped out with antiseptic 

 gauze, and, if deemed advisable, a new smaller 

 tampon inserted for another day. 



According to the degree of infection, the wound 

 may be let alone or mopped out daily with swabs 

 of antiseptic gauze, preferably saturated with 

 tincture of iodine. The inguinal wound should 



