The Lettsomian lectures on aseptic surgery in theory and practice / by Charles Barrett Lockwood.

  • Charles Barrett Lockwood
Date:
1904
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Lettsomian lectures on aseptic surgery in theory and practice / by Charles Barrett Lockwood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    their hands. There is no room for doubt that when the mechanical scrubbing with brushes and pumice stone and abundant soap and water is followed by absolute alcohol or rectified spirit the chances of sterility are greatly increased. Next when, as in Fiirbringer’s method, these are followed by immersion in sublimate lotion, 1 in 500, a still further improvement ensues. However, both of these are forbidden to the consistent aseptician. Fiirbringer’s method consists in— (1) Cleansing the nails. (2) One minute, scrubbing with soap. (3) One minute, alcohol. (4) One minute, 1 in 500 sublimate lotion. I find, personally, that sublimate makes the hands rough and inflamed. Alcohol is undoubtedly one of the most valuable aids to disinfecting the skin. After the work of Fiirbringer, Ahlfeld, Schaeffer, Leedham-Green,* and of many others, its most valuable qualities, when used as an adjunct, are fully established. Alcohol has the great virtue of overcoming the fatty matter which imper- meats the skin. The alcohol may be used by itself, or in a solution with soap, or in conjunction with chemical disinfectants. In order to simplify the process and render disinfection easier, I have for some years used a mixture of alcohol, water, and biniodide of mercury for disinfecting the skin; presently the results will be given. I have always been accustomed to test the disinfection of the hands by snipping off a scrap of skin down to the dermis and placing the scrap in broth. Several other methods can be used such as (1) scraping with bits of wood, bone, or toothpick; (2) rubbing upon sterilised material such as silk; (3) dabbling upon culture media.! My own way seems quickest and easiest. A small quantity of disinfectant clings to the skin, and this I hope in the future to be able to get neutralised. I have tried to get this done with the help of Mr. Rose, and so far our attempts at neutralisation have not revealed an}^ serious error in the past. We assume at present that skin which does not infect culture * This excellent paper is in the ‘ British Medical Journal,’ October 17th, 1896, p. 1109. See also Lauerstein, ‘Munch, med. Woch.,’ July 29th. 1902; Abst., ‘Epitome of British Medical Journal,’ October 25th, 1902, par. 253. f See Sarwey, p. 465.
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