112 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 



besides the strictly "traumatic micro-organisms" the sur- 

 geon must also respect all the bacteria that might be en- 

 countered, or which might need consideration, in one way 

 or another, in the course of surgical treatment of diseases. 

 The surgeon must cope with all bacterial forms that are 

 capable of producing local or systemic derangement by 

 directly invading the trauma and all of those that produce 

 diseases requiring surgical intervention. This leaves the 

 domain of surgical bacteriology practically analogous to 

 that of pathogenic bacteriology. The pathogenic bacteria 

 are, however, not of equal interest to each branch of veteri- 

 nary medicine. The sanitarian, the physician and the sur- 

 geon each find that certain micro-organisms are of more 

 importance than others, in the pursuit of their respective 

 missions. The surgeon is particularly interested in the 

 more common wound infections, the physician in the fevers 

 and internal diseases, and the sanitarian in the contagions. 

 The following list of bacteria are those of special interest 

 to the student of veterinary surgery. 



A. PYOGENIC MICRO-ORGANISMS. 



I. STAPHYLOCOCCUS PYOGENES AUREUS.— 



This bacterium, either alone or associated with other similar 

 forms, is the most common cause of suppurative processes in 

 the wounds of domestic animals. It is the arch-enemy of the 

 veterinary surgeon. Found universally as a parasite on the 

 skin of both the human hands and the skin of animals, it sel- 

 dom fails to invade every solution in the continuity of the lat^ 

 ter. It is a parasite, and from its parasitic abode, it is readily 

 disseminated over every article, around and about a thickly 

 inhabited environment. The skin, the olothing, the working 

 tools, the blankets, the dust of the stables, the surgical in- 

 struments, the air of the veterinary hospital, and in fact 

 every exposed article, abounds with this creature. The 



