170 GENERAL THERAPEUTICS FOR VETERINARIANS 



subsequently entirely revised on a scientific basis. Nevertheless, 

 the investigations which have been made up to this time have 

 furnished a series of important viewpoints concerning general 

 and special disinfection which may be regarded as a permanent 

 acquisition and as a preliminary foundation for a rational 

 and scientific system of disinfection. The foundation of the 

 modem antisepsis and disinfection must be explained first of 

 all. This explanation will include the meaning of the different 

 termS; antisepsis and asepsis, colyseptics (inhibit development) 

 and antiseptics (destroy bacteria) ; the methods of bacteriological 

 investigation; the differences in the individual bacteria and dis- 

 infectants; the differences between bacilli and spores; method of 

 action, form, concentration, application and properties of the indi- 

 vidual medicines; the relation of the animal body or the infected 

 object to the disinfectant; the cooperation of certain factors 

 (temperature, light) ; the importance of cleaning and preparation, 

 and the time and continuance of the disinfectant action. 



Antisepsis and Asepsis. — Starting with the conception that 

 infection of wounds could be prevented by the employment of 

 antiseptics — i.e., drugs which destroy bacteria — and by a carefully 

 applied dressing. Lister in 1867 recommended carbolic acid in con- 

 nection with the dressing named after him as a method of dis- 

 infecting wounds. Lister's dressing was applied as follows: After 

 the wound was cleaned with a 2 to 5 per cent, solution of carbolic 

 acid in water, and the air above it disinfected with a spray of the car- 

 bolic acid solution, it was covered with a piece of carbolized silk or 

 cotton (protective) ; over this was laid a thick layer of carbolized 

 gauze or cotton, which was covered with a piece of impervious cotton 

 material (mackintosh), and over all was placed a bandage of moist 

 carbolized gauze. In Germany, the Lister dressing was intro- 

 duced into general use between 1872 and 1875. Later, the car- 

 bolic spray was omitted and the dressing simplified. In 1880, 

 iodoform was substituted for carbolic acid and the dry bandage 

 took the place of the moist. Subsequently, iodoform was re- 

 placed in part by corrosive sublimate, creolin, lysol, tannoform, 

 tincture of iodine, and other disinfectants. 



