The treatment of wounds : delivered before the Royal College of Surgeons of England on Dec. 4, 1908 / by Sir W. Watson Cheyne.

  • Watson Cheyne
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The treatment of wounds : delivered before the Royal College of Surgeons of England on Dec. 4, 1908 / by Sir W. Watson Cheyne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    which have been laid on the towels or by the fingers of the operator. For this reason, after boiling the towels, I have them immersed in an antiseptic solution, usually 1 in 2,000 corro- sive sublimate, and the sublimate is not wrung out to any extent before spreading out the towels. The result is that any dust which falls on these towels comes in contact with an antiseptic solution, and as regards non-spore- bearing organisms such as the cocci, which are the chief enemies to be guarded against, dis- infection will probably occur very rapidly ; while even in the case of spore-bearing organ- isms, it is quite possible that the spores may have their growth, at the very least inhibited by the action of the antiseptic, so that the tissues may be able to dispose of them before they begin to grow. In the same way instru- ments laid down on the towels remain in contact with an antiseptic, and are not so likely to become contaminated as if laid on dry cloths. For the same reason I prefer, instead of using dry sterilized linen overalls, to use a mackin- tosh apron, and to have fastened in front of it a piece of towelling which has been boiled and wrung out of 1 in 2,000 sublimate solution. The insignificant amount of antiseptic which might get into the wound from these sources during the course of an operation could not