SUTURING MATERIAL, DRAINAGE BANDAGES. 59 
Even NEUBER’S absorbent drainage tubes did not do 
away with the necessity of changing the bandage, because 
they do not cling to the parts of the wound as well as the 
more elastic rubber tubes. From these facts the rule follows: 
That every drainage tube should remain in the wound no 
longer than is absolutely necessary. 
As narrow tubes are apt to get easily clogged by coagulum 
and hence cease to perform their function, tubes with com- 
paratively wide lumen should be always used. 
Drainage tubes with light walls are very easily crushed, 
especially in the muscles, therefore the walls should be as 
strong as possible so as to withstand the pressure of the tis- 
sues. 
An essential disadvantage for the wound lies in the fenes- 
tral openings of the drainage tubes because the granulation 
proliferates into the latter, thus nearly always causing lacera- 
tions and haemorrhages on these granulation knobs when the 
drainage tube is taken out. Unfortunately we are not able to 
prevent this, for without these fenestral openings drainage 
would hardly be effected. 
Too narrow, as well as too long tubes are apt to clog up, 
and therefore it is necessary to lead them out by the shortest 
possible way, and instead of a single long drainage tube, to 
use several short ones. 
[Proper drainage of wounds, as a principle in surgery, 
being a sine qua non, and rubber tubes proving quite unsat- 
isfactory, glass tubes were used, which had the advantage 
of strong walls to resist the pressure of encroaching granu- 
lations and adjacent muscles, but during the last few years 
antiseptic gauze and oakum have taken the place of tubes 
almost entirely. It is impossible in veterinary practice to 
keep the tubes in position on account of the restlessness of 
our patients, but gauze and oakum are easily kept in place 
by the bandage. Gauze, being a thick, open-meshed, woven 
cloth is peculiarly adapted for the packing of wounds, and is 
obtainable in all drug stores, ready for use. In its preparation, 
after being thoroughly washed, it is impregnated with some 
