The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-27
MASK To CATCH GERMS
Fight of Surgeons Against
Operative Asepsis.
IMMUNE In THE OPERATING ROOM


Operation to Prevent IafeetioB Of the
Wesnd-Germs Floating in che Air of an
Operating Room Can Cause Death Unless
Patients and Physicians Are Protected
Against Them-Care ar an Operation.
Another great step in the perfection OF
asepsis freedom from wound infeetion) In
operating rooms Is TO be taken soon. Sur
geons and their assistants are to wear
masks OF gauZe, and the crowding of
students and spectators in clinics is TO be
stopped TO a great extent. Some promi-
nent European surgeons favor the sepa-
ration OF the students from the operating
arena by plate glass. The object OF il all
is 10 prevent the entrance OF atmospheric
germs into opened wounds.
Drs. Fulegge and Roberto Binaghl. of
Europe. have been working on this prob
lem for several years. and have just sub
, mitted the results OF recent experiments
TO the medical world.
DR.. Binaghi analyzcd the air In an op-
Grating room in an Italian hospital, also
that in the wards and in the dispensaries
at frequent intervals during the months
from November until July. noting the
/ temperature and the varying pressures of
atmosphere each time. To collect any
germs that there might be In the air he
exposed dishes with glycerine-agar In the
operating amphitheater during an opera
ton. and after the germs had begun 10
form he injected them in the necks OF
rabbits. OF fifty-two animals that were
treated thus thirty-one developed all the
symptoms of violent wound infection
the dreaded wound fever of old hospitals
and battie-fields. He reached the conclu-
sion that the germs were most prevalent
in the presence Of high temperatures and
pressures, and that the fear of surgeons
concerning the influence Of the atmos-
pheric germs in injecting operative
wounds is justified.
Masks Full ofCerms.
Following these experiments came tests
TO determine the effect of sneezng, cough
ing, and even speaking OF the surgeons
end attendants while stooping over a pa
, tlent. In the first test the germs were
collected without a mask. In the second
| test each operator wore a gauze mask
designed by DR.. Berger, covering the nose
and mouth thoroughly. On the operating
| table were placed trays of glycerine-agar
covering an area equal tC that usually
exposed in a serious operation. Then the
experinenters leaned over the table ex-
actly as they would in working and
breathed. sneezed, and coughed at a dis
tapce of few feet. After exposure vary
! ing from fifteen to thirty minutes the
plates were taken into the laboratory,
here three distinct varieties of virulent
germs were found in all the plates where
no mask had been used, while hardly any
were found on the other plates. Indeed,
in ten out of fifteen of the latter plates
not a single bacteridm was found, but
the masks were so full of germs that
three rabbits that were inOculated with
them were killed.
The wearing of these gauZe masks fol-
| lows legitimately the agitation OF last
year which resulted in the general con-
viction among surgeons and physicians
that boards were fruitful sources of con-
tamination and infection. Many surgeons
now shave clean, while practically all
the rest keep their boards trimmed down
close and take great pains to disinfect
them before entering the operating are
ia. But no great amount OF disinfect-
ing can be done to the mouth. and, con-
sequentIy. the breath has remained about
the one source of possible wound-poison-
ing. With the wearing of masks and the
seclusion of visitors the operating rooms
OF 1901 will become, not only practically,
but technically aseptic.
Thus the end of the century sees the
crown put on what Is one of It's greatest
evements-anaesthetic and germess
surgery. Within the memory OF surgeons
now living the operating arena was a
place of hideous torture, running with
blood and resounding with screams. Sur
geons worked like madmen, bespattered
with red. And the hospital was den OF
poison, TO which every patient added as
soon as he was carried to it from the op-
Grating table To-day the operating arena
is a clean, quiet place, with hardly any
blood to be seen, and with a patient who
does not know what is happening and
when the subject Is wheeled back to the
ward the wounds are perfectly clean,
with bandages sealing them closely. Sup
puration is unknown. The surgeon OF to-
day would feel ashamed TO meet his fell
lows were such thing TO occur TO his
patient.
improvements In OPERATING Rooms.
The operating room of fifty years ago
was a den. II smelled frightfully. The
wooden floor was sodden with the blood
and water from many operations. The
operating table was wood. hungry for ev-
otr Ia
told eloquently of the horror that was to
be endured on II. A gutter in the floor
served TO carry of the blood Buckets
and sponges dyed red from previous vic
tins stood in readiness. The surgeon who
prepared for an operation had to mus
ter all his nerve and make himself iron.
Without anaestheties everything depend
ed on his swiftness for bungling or delay
meant the probable death of his victim
from shock With sleeves rolled up and
the knife in his hand, waited until the
case was carried or led In. A drink OF
brandy or other stimulant was forced
into the patients mouth, and without
warning strong attendants laid him
quickly on the table. Even as he touched
IL the straps were fastened around his
limbs and head, a gag thrust into his
mouth and the knife went in.
Often despite the straps and the gag the
patient screamed till the corridors rang
and his furious struggles would make II
necessary for assistants TO throw thern-
selves on him and hold him down. with
this hideous sight before him the surgeon
had TO cut and tear and stitch Ike a
butcher There was no time 10 wash away
blood except enough 70 enable the opera
tor to see to DO his work There was no
time TO examine closely. II was a case Of
rip and slash. Even had they been thought
OF, the wonderful operations OF to-day
would have beer impossible. for no human
being could have borne the pain. Yet in
those days abdominal surgery was at
tempted. and succeeded in many cases. but
only al frightfui cost Of suffering Deaths
from henorhage were frequent. because
L.. LaN~