12 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



danger of conveying serious infections to, self or, patient with 

 the unclean 'hands a-nd' contaminated 'fomites? Daintiness 

 and fastidiousness are not insisted' Upon; intact. these. attri- 

 butes, in the eyes of the rural American, usually, discredit 

 the practitioner ;■ but the effect, of good^ sensible efforts in 

 this connection invites personal/respect, promotes profes- 

 sional dignity and is manifestly influential in the prevention 

 of wound infections. Clean hands, clean nails .and, clean 

 clothing are needed in wound.' therapy, even" if the personal 

 appearance is deemedunimportarit. 



2. THE SURGEON'S EQUIPMENT— It would re- 

 quire too much space to enumerate all of the instruments, 

 tools, dressings, drugs and apparatuses needed., in veterinary 

 surgery.- Let it be'knOw'h, however, ' that an inadequate- 

 equipment is a serious obstacle to a veterinary surgeon's, 

 progress. In fact, no man ! of intelligence and integrity would 

 assume the responsibilities of important operations, without 

 a good and sufficient mean's of performance. The possession 

 of a well-equipped and well-kept hospital should be the first 

 ambition of every practitioner, and the field and stable sur- 

 gery should," as far as possible, be renounced for, the more 

 thorough nosocomial'operations. Although at, this, day the 

 rural, veterinarian is generally required to" bundle. up r his sur- 

 gical appurtenances and' prdceed' to the patient's habitat to 

 perform his operations, much of this 'arduous and often, un- 

 satisfactory work could be avoided by constantly displaying 

 the advantages of hfs well equipped operating roorn and hos- 

 pital. Perfunctory, Out-of-door; 'barn-yard pr r stable opera- 

 tions degrade animal' surgery, while' the qperajting-ropm pro- 

 cedures of high order, rto' matter 1 hbw "si'tripleT, pr.omote... the 

 art by. leaving lasting impressions of its' importance.. and a 

 higher appreciation of the results! ' ' ' ',_ ,,,'.'" 



-A -small,' compact and handy hospital is preferable. to the 

 large, roo,my v barn'-like affair 'whose ground v.ajije, cost, of 

 construction, and, especially maintenance, js qut of 'proportion 

 to the income of the 1 average veterinary practice. ., The, mpre 

 prominent urban 'practitioners, 'in the larger cities may.prof- 

 ; itabjy support large establishments with their retinue of ex- 

 pensive-attendants, but the rank and file will find more profit 

 and much more general satisfaction in a hospital of small 

 dimensions. Whatever may be regarded as theproper gen- 

 eral arrangement-and space allotment for the accommodation 

 of the different species of animals and for the different dis- 

 eases (the discussion of which would be out of place in a 

 surgical work) an area of no less than 25x25 feet should be 



