Instruments for Section 



60 1 



either naked or concealed. In some cases the blade is concealed 

 within the handle, and in others by a moveable guard alongside 

 the blade. 



The concealed types have a tendency to become swollen and 

 refuse to work after they have been immersed in liquids 

 for a time, especially those with wooden or bone handles. 

 This criticism does not apply when the instrument is constructed 

 entirely of metal. A very good type of the concealed knife is 

 that of Kauffman, Fig. 96 e, f. An equally convenient type of 

 knife, which to us seems even superior, perhaps because we are 

 more familiar with it, is the Colin scalpel, Fig. 106 b, and as in 

 other cases we greatly prefer that the instrument be constructed 

 wholly of metal so that the guard will not become caught because 

 of swelling of the handle. 



Fig. 96. CoNCBAivED and Guardbd Knives. 



a, b, c, Concealed knife of Giintlier, d, Concealed knife of Deutsch. 

 with convex, concave and double e, f, Guarded knife of Kauffman, 

 edged blades. with convex and hooked blades. 



The advantage of the scalpel over the finger-knife is that it 

 may be turned in any direction, so that an incision may be made 

 lo'ngitudinally or transversely, as the operator may desire. It has 

 been suggested that an objection to this kind of knife is the pps- 

 sibility of losing it in the uterus, but in our clinical experience 

 this objection is not well grounded. To guard against such a 

 possibility, .some of these instruments are made with an eye at 

 the extremity of the handle, through which a safety cord may 

 be passed so that the instrument, if lost, may be recovered. 



