16 ANTISEPTIC TREATMENT OF WOUNDS. 
myelitis an actual infection direct from the body may follow by 
way of the circulation. But when KOCHER made his 
assertion regarding spontaneous infection such generalized 
infectious diseases did not occur ,to him, besides the 
etiology of osteomyelitis was then as yet unknown, but he 
imagined that those wound infections, which we term acci- 
dental wound diseases, could originate in such manner. Ac- 
cording to. the bacteriological and surgical experience thus 
far collected such possibilities of wound infection must be 
looked upon as a rare exception, and we must consider the 
substances which come in contact with the wound from the 
outside and which are carriers of infectious germs, as the chief 
source of the infection of a wound. 
The following are carriers of such infectious germs, which 
are important to the surgeon: 
First—Air. 
Second—Hands and clothing of the operator. 
Third—Foreign bodies (stones, sand,. nails, wood splinters, 
pieces of earthenware, etc.,) which enter into the wound simul- 
taneously with the wounding. 
Fourth—Resting place of the patient, either during the 
operation or afterwards. 
Fifth—Instruments and bandaging materials. 
Sixth—Vicinity of the wound (skin, hair, nails, hoof). 
1 AIR. 
The fact that the air contains a large number of not only 
innocent but pathogenic germs is so undisputed that it is 
hardly necessary to discuss it any further, but since we have 
to figure with the air as a carrier of pathogenic organisms into 
the wound, it must be discussed. If a sunbeam comes 
through a window we notice in the illuminated air space 
numerous small particles of dust, 24 to 34 per cent. of which 
is organic matter. As the pathogenic schizomycetes are of the 
same nature, there are certainly some contained in this sun 
dust. In fact, PODO, who injected such dust subcutaneously 
into rabbits, produced deadly septicaemia in a very short time. 
