The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-27

Of plate glass and white enameIed iron.
Rows on rows Of tightly sealed glass jars
hold the instruments. Scattered all
around the operating table are shallow
glass dishes. These are filled with the
antisepiie solutions. formalin. bichioride
OF mercury, or similar fluids. Suddenly
two or three nurses, dressed in white
gowns that cover them from head 20 foot.
come IN and take their places by the ia
oles, Then the operator and his assist
ants enter. They are in long gowns and
caps. The operator gives sign. another
door opens and the patient. already eth
erized. is wheeled in and deposited quick
~ on the glass table. Every past OF the
sufferer except the part 20 be operated
on Is swathcd tightly IN pure white linen
that has been baked 10 render L sterile.
In an instant the surgeon IS at work In
anywhere from fifteen 20 fifty minutes
the patient is back in bed. with an even
temperature and generally wisA entire
freedom from pair.
All this is the result OF A wonderfully
precise and painstaking system Twenty
four hours before an operation Is 10 be
performed the patient is put on a Hght
diet. A hot bath is given snd the nart
10 be operated en- Is shaved and then
scrubbed with bichloride OF mercury or u
similar powerful antiseptic. Green surgi-
Cal soap is used often. Then a bandaga
that excludes all air Is tied over the sur
face OF the part. Ten hours or so before
the operation all food is withheld I'm most
cases. A little while before the surgeon
is ready the patient Is taken out OF bed.
the baneage is removed, and another
scrubbing with antiseptics IS given last
ing as long as an hour sometimes where
there Is danger from blood poisoning
While this is going on nurses are bring
ing great linen rolls from the disinfect-
ing room. where they have been baking
10 make them absolutely sterile Quick
ly these are wrapped tightly around every
portion Of the body except that which Is
to be operated On. Then the patient Is
carried to a wheeled table. which is push
ed swiftly into the etherizins room. This
adjoins the operating room.
Preparing for an Operation.
While this has been going on. the sur
geOn, his assistants and the nurses have
been busy with themselves Out OF the
great glass jars they have taken their
long gowns, fresh from the sterilizlng
oven, and each one has undergone an
elaborate cleansing. Some surgeons de-
mand that at least thirty minutes DO
spent In cleaning the hands alone. None
are content with less than fifteen min
Utes. The routine differs. One favorite
method is to scrub the hands and fore
arms with green SOAP and hot water FOR
about ten minutes with a boiled brush The
water is changed four times during this
first washing Then the nails are clean
ed carefully and trimmed. Then comes
five minutes of scrubbing with a bicho-
ride solution, which IS rinsed off with a
weaker solution. this ,rinsing requiring
from two to five minutes. Then the
hands and arms are immersed In an
alcoholic bichloride solution. This last
immersion Is repeated just before the first
incision is made. Most doctors operate
with their hands dripping with antiseptic
solution, unless they wear the white rub
ber gloves which many prefer
BY the time they ere ready the uncon-
sciols patient is wheeled into the arena
and lifted 10 the operating table. From
that tire on hardly a word is to be heard.
Assistants and nurses are so well trained
that they know perfectly well Just what
instruments to hand to the operator Each
instrument lies in a shallow dish of anti
septic solution. which in turn often is
covered with a sterilized towel. AS soon
as an instrument is discarded il is laid
into a powerful bath OF antiseptics, ami.
If il Is not to be used again. is sent out
Of the operating room to be boiled. While
the operator is cutting he hardly looks
up. but reaches out mechanically for what
he wants. Whatever it may be. an as
sstant or a nurse is ready to put II into
his hand without delay. In the mean
time another nurse is sDouging away what
blood there Is. As soon as a sponge Is
filled with blood IL is thrown into a buck
ct OF disiEfectant. II is not used again.
New spOnges are taken out of sealed Jars.
In which they have been put in the steril-
izing room, as they are needed. SO with
every bandage and every scrap Of linen.
All is In glass Jars. and rot a scrap Is
touched until it is 10 be used. Then 1t is
thrown away at once.
Hardly a hand except that of the chief
operator touches the body OF the patient,
and he 1Oes as much as possible with in
Struments instead OF fingers