PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 259 



this cause. The out-of-door operation, on a grass plot, is 

 the ideal one. But when it is necessary to perform the 

 operation within the stable the litter should be laid and 

 dampened some hours previous. 



2. The Surgical Instruments. — For the sterilization of 

 the instruments the writer recommends their immersion in 

 95 per. cent carbolic acid for a few minutes, as the most 

 practical method. The acid is contained in a wide salt- 

 mouth jar carpeted at the bottom with felt, cork or cotton 

 to prevent the points of the knives from striking" against 

 the glass. While the preparations for the operation are 

 proceeding, all of the instruments required are placed in 

 the jar. In a few rhinutes they are safely sterilized, and 

 can be removed with a forcep and rinsed in a three-per- 

 cent solution of carbolic, to render them safe to handle. 

 They are either left in this weak solution, or else spread 

 out on the instrument table ready for use. In out-of-door 

 practice the resting place of the instruments must be some- 

 what carefully selected. The instrument tray containing a 

 three-per-cent carbolic solution is the safest, although a 

 clean towel or well cleaned, smooth board will answer. 

 With a few sensible precautions, absolutely sterilized in- 

 struments may thus be obtained in almost any environ- 

 ment and without much inconvenience. 



The boiling of instruments is, however, the safest form 

 of sterilization. In the hospital, where some pretense is 

 made to perform operations properly, heat sterilization 

 should be adopted. It is easily and rapidly efifected where 

 a gas stove is available, but is entirely impractical under 

 any other conditions. The lighting of a coal or wood 

 stove to boil instruments for each operation would soon 

 lead to the abandonment of the effort entirely. 



Instruments should be boiled for fifteen to twenty 

 minutes in a weak solution of sodium carbonate, and then 



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