48 ANTISEPTIC TREATMENT OF WOUNDS. 
These can be purchased at instrument dealers generally at 
very small cost. They are durable and easily disinfected with- 
out injuring the material—L. A. M.] 
3. RESTING PLACE OF PATIENT. 
The resting place of our domesticated animals coming into 
very close contact, partly temporarily and partly constantly, 
with most parts of the body, plays an important role, as far 
as the treatment of wounds is concerned, owing to the presence 
of great numbers of infectious germs. If we take into con- 
sideration the analogous circumstances in human, we notice 
that here absolute cleanliness of the sick bed cannot be accom- 
plished either; however, owing to the fact that in the human 
we can bandage up every part strictly occlusively, except 
wounds in the natural body openings, the importance of the 
bed is not so great as the resting place of our domestic ani- 
mals. As we are only able to put a strictly occlusive bandage 
on the limbs, all the wounds on other parts are exposed to in- 
fection through the litter. A-disinfection of the litter is im- 
possible ; therefore, in order to prevent an infection through it, 
the following proceedings are indicated: 
Keep the litter as clean as possible, that is, have all manure 
and urine carefully removed; moisten moderately the litter 
material itself (grain or straw is the best), and avoid shaking it 
up. Ifthe patients, on account of pain, cannot lie quietly, it is 
Lest to compel them to stand, especially during the first five to 
six days, after which time a healing per primam intentionem 
follows; or until sufficient granulation takes place to give the 
wound protection against infection. 
While performing many operations, we are obliged to cast 
our patients, and thus an opportunity is offered for freshly 
made wounds to become infected. 
In some clinics (Berlin, Stuttgart, etc.) this source of infec- 
tion has been removed by using on an operating table, leather 
covered mattresses, but for country practice such complicated 
apparatus is not convenient, and we have to depend chiefly on 
