124 
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
sium iodide treatment is a vast improvement over previous re¬ 
sults, and with careful observations and experiments we can no 
doubt improve on it. I will add that in case No i, the mas¬ 
sage was not applied regularly as directed, which might have 
made some difference in the termination of the case. I have 
also observed that thorough cleanliness and sterilization of the 
infusion apparatus must be maintained. Care should also be 
taken that the water used is pure and thoroughly sterilized in a 
clean vessel, as our clients are mostly farmers, who are not, as a 
rule, very particular in this respect. 
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
By Iv. A. and E. Merillat, 
of the McKillip Veterinary College , Chicago , III. 
antiseptic wound treatment (conceuded). 
Routine of Wound Treatment (Concluded). 
Suturing Wounds .—Suturing the wound is the last step but 
one in its treatment. After the stitching is completed the 
whole procedure is perfected by the application of the final 
dressing, which is intended to prevent infection during the heal¬ 
ing. There are other methods of closing wounds besides sutur¬ 
ing (plasters and bandages), but none other is entirely practical 
in veterinary patients. Neither plasters nor bandages can ever 
be of much service where the parts are not perfectly quiet, and 
since it is not possible to induce absolute quiet in our subjects 
these methods might well be excluded from a discussion of 
veterinary wound treatment. 
Silk, cat-gut, wire, cotton twine, kangaroo tendon and flax 
thread are the materials at one’s disposal. Among the more 
delicate operations each may have its special indication, but in 
general practice none will be found to be more useful from every 
standpoint than Barber’s Irish flax saddler’s thread. This 
thread is stronger in single strands than any of the ordinary 
suturing threads and when used in double, triple or quadruple 
strands it will answer for suturing the very largest wounds. 
Another commendable feature is its small cost. One ball cost¬ 
ing less than fifty cents should last the average veterinarian a 
year or more. The silk skeins are actually too costly for the 
veterinarian. 
