The Press., 1900-11-29
SURGEONS THREADS
MATERIALS THAT ARE USED TO SEW
UP CUTS AND WOUNDS.

Saving Operations. 1t
Imagine tailor who deliberately
plans to have the stitches he so careful.
| ly sews give way at certain time.
| Suppose he should use one kind of
thread in coat warranted to break in
one week, another kind in the trousers
| guaranteed to fall apart in a month
and using permanent material only in
making up waistcoat. Yet this is ex-
actly what the surgeon does every day.
Sutures, as the surgeons thread is call.
| ed, are made from various materials
according to the requirements. Catgut
| silk thread, SilkWOrm gut, silver wire.
| kangaroo tendons and horsehair are in
common use.
Catgut was at one time obtainea
| from members of the feline tribe. As
| it's use increased the supply ran short.
Experiments showed that sheep fur
| nished an acceptable substitute. So
catgut used by surgeons, jewelers. and
makers of musical instruments comes
| now from the submucosa, or middle
layer of the intestine of sheep. It is
the most commonly used of all sutur-
ing material. Catgut stitches are alb,
sorbed in from five to seven days, de-
pending on the individual upon whom
they are used. In occasional instances
catgut stitches have been known to be
absorbed in SO hours BY treating Il.
with chronic acid such a suture viii
remain in position for many weeks.
Because of it's adaptabi6ty and the
cheapness Of the material catgut heads
the list of surgical threads.
Silkworm gut can be more thorough.
~ sterilized than any other known
suture material. In preparing egat3aSes
of all sorts the usual method is to D0il
the material in ether, allow it to soak
for "a hours, then place it in alcohol
for day or two and follow this with
bath of mercury solution. Notwith-
standing this thorough cleansing, the
microscope reveals germs still present
in varying numbers in many instances.
S1lkWorm sutures show fewer micro
organisms than other materials treated
in this way; hence it is highly recon-
mended for surgical work. The mate
rial is extracted from a silkworm killed
Immediately before it begins to weave
it's cocoon. Unfortunately for sur
geons, silkworm sutures are not alb
sorbed, but remain permanently in
place. For this reason it's use is re-
stricted to special work.
The short, tough tendons taken from
the tail of a kangaroo furnish surgeons
with valuable thread. kangaroo ten
don stitches will hold fast for many
days. The time of absorption is esti-
mated from four weeks to two months
Horsehair and silver wire sutures are
nOnabsOrbable. The fluids of the BODY
do not affect them in any way, and
once in place the stitches will remain
until forcibly removed. By some it is
asserted that silver wire has distinct
antiseptic properties. Nitrate of silver
In solution is known to be good ger
micide. Hence it is argued that a sill
yer salt injurious to germ DEVELOPMENT
is formed by the contact of body fluids
with silver wire. Thus stitch assesses
are said to be of rare occurrence when
silver wire is utilized.
Silk thread, such as is used by tai
lors, but of the finest quality and OF
larger caliber, is frequently used. ~The
stitches are practically nonahasA -
though at times no trace of
has been found in the tissue -
piration of year.
To accommodate this assortment of
threads special varieties of needles are
naturally required. A surgeons "house-
wife" contains needles that would
scarcely be recognized as such by the
uninitiated. Besides the needles curv-
ed in different segments of a circle,
surgeons use needles shaped like
spears, javelins and bayonet points.
Some are as long as bodkins, terminal
ing in a point like miniature knife
blade. Others have the sharpened~ end
triangular, with the apices of the an
giles sharpened to a razor edge Some
few are formed like ordinary sewing
needles, but made of greater tensile
strength.
Instead of a thimble a surgeon uses
an instrument called a needle holder.
1t is shaped like pair of scissors, the
points of which are blunt clamps The
needle is held fast between the jaws
of the clamps until released by opening
the two blades as scissors are opened
Then fresh hold is taken, and the ac-
ton repeated with every stitch
A skillful surgeon has perfect COM
mand of the needle at all times There |
are moments during an operation when |
a well placed stitch means saving the |
life of a patient. At such times the |
skillful surgeon displays a celebrity and |
deftness not surpa ssed in embroidery.
The surgeon relies upon certain |
stitches for different needs, just as the |
dressmaker picks and chooses among |
the various forms of stitching. The |
hemstitch, catstitch, whalebone, her. |
ringbone, running stitch and back hand |
SO dear to the feminine fingers have |
their counterparts in the surgeons /!
mattress suture, interrupted and con-
tinuous suture, subcuticular suture,
purse string and figure eight ssltures,
Lembert and Czerney sutures. AS the
seamstress selects an appropriate
stitch for a seam, a buttonhole or an
edging, so the surgeon chooses in form
ing his life saving stitches.-New York
Sun.
hn INV pn%