The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-11-14
SURGEONS THREAD.
MATERIALS THAT ARE USED TO SEW
UP CUTS AND WOUNDS.

Variety of Stitches Used In Life
Saving Operations.
Imagine q 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 a coat warranted to break in
one week, another kind in the trousers
guaranteed to fail apart in month
and using permanent material only in
up waiStcoat. Yet this is ex-
acuy 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 obtained
frcin members Of the feline tribe As
its use increased the supply ran short.
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 iltestine Of a sheep. 1t 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 It
with chronic acid such Suture will
remain in position for many weeks.
Because Of its adaptability 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 sutures
OF all sorts the usual method Is to boil
the material in ether, allow it to soak
for "a hours, then place it in alcohol
for day or two and follow this with
q bath of mercury solution. Notwith-
standing this thorough cleansing. the
microscope reveals germs still present
in varying numbers in many instances.
Silkworn sutures show fewer micro
OF .-aniSms than other materials treated
in this way: hence it is highly recon-
mended for surgical work. The mate
rial Is extra "ted from a silkworm killed
before 1t begins to weave
it's cocoon Unfortunately for sur
geons, silkworm sutures are not alb
sorbed. but remain permanently in
place. For this reason its use Is re-
stricted to special work.
The short, tough tendons taken from
the tail Of 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
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 1t is argued that 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
lcrs, but of the finest quality and Of
larger caliber, is frequently used. The
stitches are practically nonaDsorbable,
though at times no trace Of the thread
has been found in the tissue at the ex-
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, javellns 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.
gles Sharpened to q razor edge. Some
few are formed like ordinary sewing
needles, but made of greater tensile
strength.
Instead Of q thimble surgeon uses
an instrument called 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 q 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 we'll placed stitch means saving the
life Of q patient. At suck times the
skillful surgeon displays celebrity and
deftness not surpassed 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
catstitch, whalebone, her
ringtcne, running stitch and back hand
so Gear to the feminine fingers have
tEeir counterparts in the surgeons
mattress suture. interrupted and con-
tiruous suture. subcuticular suture,
purse string and figure eight sutures,
Lembert and CZerney sutures. AS the
seamstress selects san appropriate
stitch for seam, buttonhole or an
ede.ng. so the surgeon chooses in form
ing his life saving stitches.-New York
Sun.
Her Way.