DEPARTMENT OF SURGEkY. 
721 
Asepsis (adj. aseptic) denotes the absence of any pathogenic 
organism. The terms “ aseptic,” “antiseptic,” “septic,” are 
used in referring to any substance that may contact a wound as 
well as to the wound itself. Thus an instrument is called asep¬ 
tic, antiseptic, or septic, the same as a wound. 
A septic wound or instrument in surgery is one that has 
been exposed to carriers of infection, whether it is known to be 
infected or not, because sepsis on an instrument and the first 
stages of sepsis in a wound can not be recognized macroscop- 
ically. 
An aseptic wound or instrument is one that has positively 
never been contaminated or has positively been freed from con¬ 
tamination by the use of an antiseptic. 
An antiseptic wound or instrument is one which contains a 
destroyer of infection, as a bandage containing mercuric chloride 
or a wound dusted with iodoform. 
Septic process refers to one or more of the changes a wound 
may undergo when infected, as against sepsis, which refers to the 
whole process. The term in surgical pathology should refer to 
any changes produced by organisms, but some pathologists 
restrict its use to such accidental wound diseases as septicaemia, 
sapraemia, pyaemia, erysipelas, etc., in a manner that is some¬ 
what confusing. The confusion arises from the interpretation 
of the word “ putrefaction.” Literally putrefaction refers to 
decomposition of nitrogenous matter in the presence of organ¬ 
isms with the formation of odorous gases, such as NH 3 and H 2 S, 
while in pathology it may properly be used even when gaseous 
formation is not present. Therefore, as mentioned in the 
definition of “ sepsis,” it is not an error to refer to any bac¬ 
terial wound disease as a septic process. 
Suppuration denotes pus formation following an infective 
inflammation. Certain chemical substances (terebinthina, mer¬ 
cury, etc.) are capable of producing suppuration, but as these 
agents are few and are indeed seldom found in wounds the 
etiological research must be confined to vegetable parasites— 
bacteria. The pus-microbes which have a wide diffusion are : 
(a) Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus. 
(b) Staphylococcus pyogenes albus. 
(c) Staphylococcus pyogenes citreus. 
(d) Micrococcus pyogenes tenius. 
(e) Streptococcus pyogenes. 
(f) Bacillus pyocyaneus. 
(g) Bacillus pyogenes foetidus. 
