PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 263 



5. The Sutures. — Sutures come into such close contact 

 with the wounded tissues, being imbedded into them, and 

 they remain there so long, that they, above, all other con- 

 veyors of infection, require particular attention. Lister 

 recognized this from the beginning, and immersed his 

 suturing materials in carbolized oil. Absolute sterilization 

 of sutures is as possible as it is necessary. It should never 

 be omitted, nor be only half accomplished. A whole ball 

 of cheap suturing material, such as Irish Linen Thread, 

 can be safely sterilized by keeping it immersed in alcohol. A 

 salt mouth jar with a small perforation in the lid to give 

 exit to the thread is a good container for keeping an abund- 

 ance of cheap suturing material in a state of perfect asepsis. 

 For more particular work sterilized silk in hermetically 

 sealed tubes is, however, advisable. For buried sutures^ 

 cat-gut in sealed tubes, is essential. 



In preparing svitures for an operation they must be 

 handled only after cleaning the hands, and a needle should 

 be threaded for each stitch required. It is wrong to arm a 

 needle with a long thread in a veterinary operation because 

 it will surely be dragged over unclean surfaiies. The 

 threaded needles are placed in a separate tray of alone on. 

 the instrument table, so as not to become contaminated or., 

 tangled up while handling the other instruments. They 

 should be picked up with the dissecting forceps: and then 

 taken in the jaws of the needle-holder with which they are- 

 inserted. In treating accidental wounds, the . environs .of 

 which have not been shaved, or even in any wound. where 

 absolute asepsis is desired, the needle should be passed 

 from within outward to prevent carrying infection ..(or 

 hairs) into the wound. 



6. The Antiseptics and Their Containers.— rAntiseptics 

 may not always be what their name indicates. Some of 

 them are actually harmful from the great nuinber of micro-. 



