10 CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY 



becomes brittle) before use, or placed for at least half an 

 hour in some reliable antiseptic solution. Silk is con- 

 veniently prepared in various sizes known as oo, o, i, 2, 3, 4, 

 etc., and can be kept ready for immediate use by bemg 

 wound on glass reels and kept in glass-stoppered bottles. 



Catg-ut and kang-aroo tendons will not bear boiling ; they 

 require lengthened immersion in antiseptic solution, and, to 

 be thoroughly sterile, a proper method of preparation. Mr. 

 C. B. Lockwood, F.R.C.S.,i speaks very highly of the sterile 

 property of catgut prepared according to Esmarch's- direc- 

 tions, which are as follows : ' The ordinary commercial 

 catgut, Nos. I to 3, is vigorously cleansed with a brush in 

 soft soap and water, and after washing in pure water is 

 wound on glass spools and laid in bichloride of mercury 

 solution (i to 1,000) for twelve hours; then in an alcoholic 

 (i to 200) solution of bichloride for twelve hours ; and it is 

 finally preserved dry in tightly-closed glass vessels. Just 

 before it is used it is laid in a vessel filled with an alcohohc 

 (i to 2,000) solution of bichloride of mercury.' A simpler 

 and more recently described French method consists in 

 soaking it for a week in lini iodi, and this is stated to be 

 quite satisfactory. 



Catgut, ready prepared by the above or some similar 

 method, can be purchased at a reasonable price, being con- 

 veniently arranged in dust-proof bottles in such a way that 

 the gut is kept in the solution until a portion of it is required, 

 and then only that portion is exposed which is to be used. 

 If in oil, it should be well washed with ether or soaked in a 

 strong antiseptic for some hours before using. 



Silkworm g-ut or fishing- g-ut is especially valuable 

 because it does not possess capillary properties. It is to 

 be obtained in different sizes, and is readily sterilized by 

 boiling. 



^ 'Aseptic Surgery,' p. iSo. 



"' 'The Surgeon's Handbook,' translated by Curtis, 1888, p. 15. 



