52 CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY. 



The principal continuous sutures are : simple continuous, 

 furrier's, and Halstead's. 



The materials used are : silk, Chinese twist, horse hair, wire, 

 cat-gut, kangaroo tendon, silk-worm gut, and thread. Each of 

 these can be obtained in various sizes. 



Whatever material is used, it must be rendered aseptic before 

 being used, or pus is liable to form in the suture holes and 

 retard the healing process. Catgut and silk-worm gut, especi- 

 ally the latter, do not become absorbed for a considerable 

 length of time, and are valuable in cases where it is required 

 that the sutures shall remain in for a long period ; silk-worm 



Fig. 24. 

 Showing how the ends of the silk fall in a "surgical" and a "granny "knot respectively. 



gut is particularly good for the abdominal wall, because it does 

 not possess capillarity. 



Simple interrupted sutures are those in which each suture is 

 complete in itself and entirely separated from the others. They 

 are made by passing the needle and suture material through the 

 edges of the wound and tying the suture carefully in some form 

 of knot which is not liable to slip. The best pattern of knot 

 for this purpose is variously known as a " surgical," " Stafford- 

 shire," or "reef" knot, and is so arranged that when completed 

 the loose ends fall opposite to one another at right angles to 

 the wound, and directly over the suture itself. The knot may 

 be left directly in the centre, or, what is probably a better plan 

 because it causes less irritation, pulled to one side. When the 

 loose ends fall in the same line as the wound and at right angles 



