i8o  Medicated  Ganges.  (Am  jour  I'baini. 
(       April,  1911. 
chlorine  and  starch  or  guin-Uke  material.  According  to  the  British 
Pharmaceutical  Codex,  i  Gramme,  when  incinerated,  should  yield 
"  practically  no  residue." 
It  is  safer  to  prevent  contamination,  as  far  as  possible,  than  to 
depend  entirely  upon  sterilization  for  an  aseptic  product.  The 
tables,  floor  and  all  other  possible  portions  of  the  room  where 
gauzes  are  to  be  prepared  should  be  scrubbed  with  hot  lye  solution 
containing  phenol.  The  top  of  the  work  table  should  be  preferably 
of  glass,  but,  if  not,  should  be  thoroughly  scrubbed  and  finally 
washed  with  a  1-500  bichloride  solution,"  and  covered  with  sheets 
of  sterilized  parchment  paper  before  any  dressings  are  placed  upon 
it.  The  hands  and  nails  of  the  operator  should  be  scrupulously 
clean  and  washed,  just  before  handling  the  material,  in  a  5  per  cent, 
phenol  solution.  The  clothing  and  hair  should  be  covered  with 
garments  or  wrappings  of  sterile  muslin  or  gauze.  Also,  any 
objects  not  capable  of  being  moved  from  the  neighborhood  of  the 
work,  and  not  needed  for  it,  should  be  covered  with  sterile  cloths. 
Jars,  rods  and  all  other  materials  should  be  sterilized  where  pos- 
sible by  boiling  in  water  for  fifteen  minutes.  Cartons  and  paper 
for  packing  and  wrapping  should  be  heated  in  an  oven  for  one-half 
hour  at  a  temperature  of  i20°-i5o°  C. 
The  gauzes  on  the  market,  both  plain  and  medicated,  are  in 
two  forms — moist  and  dry.  Hence  directions  for  both  are  given. 
The  moist  forms  seem  to  have  the  preference  of  most  surgeons. 
They  are  more  readily  sterilized  in  that  condition,  are  more  pliable 
and  suitable  for  packing  wounds  and  cavities,  insure  more  rapid 
drainage,  and  have  less  tendency  to  adhere  to  the  wound  surfaces. 
Plain  Absorbent  Gauze,  Dry. 
The  gauze  should  be  cut  into  convenient  lengths  and  rolled  or 
folded  into  suitable  bundles,  wrapped  in  sterilized  parchment  paper 
and  placed  in  a  steam  bath  for  one  half-hour.  It  should  then  be 
removed  and  placed  in  previously  sterilized  cartons  or  wrapped  in 
sterilized  tough,  heavy  paper. 
Plain  Absorbent  Gauze,  Moist. 
The  gauze  should  be  cut  into  suitable  lengths,  then  sprinkled  with 
sterilized  distilled  water  containing  5  per  cent,  of  glycerin  and 
packed  in  previously  sterilized  amber  glass  jars.    The  filled  jars, 
