728 GENEBAL THERAPEUTIC MEASURES 



ously cleansed, and then soaked in carbolic acid (1-40) 

 solution, or pieces of sterile gauze may be used. 



If irrigation is desirable, normal salt solution (1 heaping 

 teaspoonful to the quart of sterile water) is appropriate. 

 Nothing else but this is allowable within the non-infected 

 abdominal cavity.* Sutures of silk, and needles, are pre- 

 pared by boiling in water for thirty minutes. The area about 

 the operative field is to be surrounded with cloths, or towels, 

 which have been boiled or baked, and instruments and 

 sponges may be laid on these. » 



Dressings may consist of gauzet which has been exposed 

 for three hours to dry heat at 140° C. (284° F.), or placed in 

 an oven of an ordinary cooking stove, in closed tin cans, until 

 it becomes scorched and slightly brown. The same gauze 

 may be used for sponges. Unsterilized articles are not to 

 be suffered to come in contact with the operator, or wound, 

 during the operation. 



Wound infection from exposure to the air and other 

 media, is prevented by immediate dressing and bandaging, 

 or by collodion applications. 



■Venesection. 



Venesection, or blood-letting, formerly abused, has, for 

 that reason, fallen into almost complete disuse. This is un- 

 fortunate, since blood-letting is a valuable and often life- 

 saving measure. The indications for venesection are chiefly 

 limited to conditions associated with a general high arterial 

 pressure and local engorgement of some organ. 



In such cases venesection very rapidly reduces general 

 Mood-tension to a point lower than that existing in the 

 engorged region, so that congestion is relieved. A full, in- 

 compressible pulse is said to indicate the desirability of 



* It may be noted here that the peritoneum of the horse is so 

 extremely delicate and liable to infection, as compared to that of man 

 and dogs, that most abdominal operations are praclically contraindi- 

 cated in the case of this animal. 



\ Sterile gauze is now sold by all druggists. 



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