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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    possibly have the slightest effect; it would at once mingle with the blood and be precipitated, and thereby rendered inert. As regards the instruments, after being- boiled they are very often placed in salt solu- tion and left there during the course of the operation; in other cases they are kept in alcohol. As regards salt solution, the same thing applies, as 1 have already pointed out, with regard to dry towels. In the course of time, and not a very long time either, the surface of the salt solution becomes covered with floating dust, and an instrument taken out of it will carry with it a considerable amount of dust, which dust retains its vitality. At the same time as the operator picks out instru- ments he gets dust on his fingers, and while— as I have repeatedly pointed out—this dust is in the great majority of cases innocuous, it may not be so, and it introduces a possible loophole for infection. Hence, just as I have the towels moistened with an antiseptic solu- tion, so I prefer to keep the instruments in an antiseptic solution till they are required for use, that which I use being i in 20 or 1 in 40 carbolic solution, which does not injure the metal. In that case the dust falling into the lotion becomes speedily acted upon, and all dangerous organisms are rendered inert. I