DISINFECTANTS IN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 
15 
scrubbed with soap and water, the hair shaved or clipped 
close, and then washed and kept wet for at least ten or fifteen 
minutes, with a good disinfecting solution. For this purpose 
a two per cent, carbolic solution, a two per cent, lysol solution, 
or a bi-chloride solution can be used—I prefer the two first to 
the latter. Experiments made in my laboratory by two of 
our graduating students, have demonstrated that a two per 
cent, solution of either lysol or carbolic acid, will destroy the 
staphylococcus pyogenes aureus within five minutes, while 
recent experiments made elsewhere show that corrosive 
sublimate has been much overrated as a disinfectant. 
During the operation I would not advise keeping the ex¬ 
posed tissues wet with strong disinfecting solutions, but 
would remove the blood by wiping gently with a piece of 
antiseptic gauze. We know that ail chemical disinfectants 
interfere with the vitality of the tissues, and thus retard the 
healing process. Two things*should be borne in mind, viz.: 
to introduce as few pus microbes into the wound as possible, 
and to preserve as nearly as is possible the normal condition 
of the tissues operated upon, 
As was indicated at the beginning of this paper, I believe 
the reason why so few wounds heal by first intention, is. 
because sufficient care has not been taken to prevent the 
entrance into the wound of- pus organism. The methods of 
disinfection are not thorough enough. The instruments are 
merely placed in a solution of carbolic acid, containing many 
times less than one per cent, of the acid, the hands are simply 
washed or wet for a few seconds in the same kind of a solu¬ 
tion, and the seat of operation disinfected in much the same 
way. Then because suppuration follows we lose faith in 
disinfectants, and say that suppuration is bound to follow all 
operations. When experiments in the laboratory show that it 
requires from five to ten minutes contact of the disinfectant 
with the germ under the most favorable conditions, how can 
we expect to disinfect our hands, or the seat of operation, in 
a less time where the conditions are not nearly as favorable ? 
A mistake some make is that of contaminating the wound, 
after disinfection has been thorough, by using unclean sponges. 
