Preventioji of Infection 621 



afterbirth or in removing a putrid fetus from another animal, he 

 should first, by all rules of surgical practice, have taken a thor- 

 ough bath and had a complete change of clothing, in addition to 

 having thoroughly and carefully disinfected all those portions of 

 his body which have been in any way soiled or contaminated 

 during the previous operation. He owes this duty, not only to 

 the owner of the animal, but equally to his own reputation as a 

 practitioner. 



When called to a case of dystokia, he should prepare an abun- 

 dant supply of efficient disinfecting solutions which he can use 

 in disinfecting anew his hands and arms immediately before be- 

 ginning his operation. 



The thorough cleansing and disinfection of the hands and arms 

 serves a double purpose in practice. It protects the patient 

 against any infection which the operator may carry upon his 

 hands or arms and, when the skin and skin glands of the operator's 

 hands and arms are well saturated with a disinfecting solution, 

 it affords to him a definite protection against infection from the 

 animal. 



This danger of infection to the operator, especially in cases of 

 a putrid fetus or afterbirth, constitutes one of the greatest risks 

 with which the veterinarian has to contend. There are few vet- 

 erinarians who have not, at one or more times, suffered more or 

 less seriously from infection from these causes, and it is of funda- 

 mental importance that this danger be guarded against as thor- 

 oughly as possible. 



Such infection usually occurs, not on the hands, but on the 

 arms, where the skin is more delicate and the hair folicles and 

 sweat glands offer a better opportunity for the entrance of micro- 

 organisms. Apparently those persons who sweat freely are 

 most subject to infection in obstetric operations. 



Some depend chiefly upon the lubrication of the hands and 

 arms with oil or fat, to which possibly some disinfectant has 

 been added, but it has been our constant observation that fats 

 and oils are immediately dissolved by the fetal fluids, and conse- 

 quently cease to afford any protection almost as soon as the hand 

 and arm have been introduced into the genital passages. Such 

 anointing of the arms is of little value from the standpoint of 

 the prevention of infection of the operator, but has some value as 

 a lubricant. Infection of the operator's hands and arms may be 

 largely or wholly prevented in several ways. 



