Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-09-12
THESURGEON'S TOOLS
- Fs" As POSSIBLE USED BY rAe
MODERN PRACTITIONER


St"nee, Ifc Can Carry Fverx,h..
Necessary Gn One of rt,. p,...-
'"rEed Instruments the Hest.
a surgeon used TO carry bag OF IN.
sN"'iehts weighing often ns much as
twenty-five pounds when DO was called
% operate said member OF the staY
Oi the New York POStgraduote Ned-
ieal school aud Hospital the Other 1oy
Aouay an average operation. such "a
me removal OF an appendix. calls for no
more Instruments than can bo carried
I'm the pockets
nave Just come" continued the doc
,or' from removing an appendix. ana
mere ia this small package arc ali tia
Instruments | uscd-O scissors two ar.
Veiy ciaiilps. two forceps and n needle.
"tany operations. Of course-gastro-
enteric. genealogical and those that
nave 10 do with bones REQUIRE moro
Instruments, but modern science do
MINDS tho use OF as few as possible In
oruer That time may he saved skin
ana hastc are prime factors IN an on
Grafton In tho old days. before annes-
thesia wns known. this was 10 shorten
u1e patients agony "a much as possible
After ether was discovered surgeons
Tor awhile operated moro lclsurelv. but
soon finding out that tho shock 10 the
patient remaining under ether s., long
was always dangerous ana often fatal
they again recognized the Importance
OF swhtncss. Diminishing tho number
OF Instruments was one II the methods
Tor saving time. IN the operating room
IN the old dnys there was alwavs no
matter what the operation. a GOOD sized
table laid ont with ten - fifteen score
OF Instruments. fiCty artery clamps.
scissors. forcops and lancets 10y the
dozen. II uscd to take over an hour 70
remove an appendix; today the average
is about twelve minutes
Tho variety of Instruments Increase,
every year as surgeons meet with new
needs or solve Old problems Ia our
school here. as In others. many Instru-
mcnts have been devised. Especially
TO those having 10 do with the eye. ear.
nose and throat have We rInde valua-
Die additions as well a. in the field OF
OrthOpclic appliances. Tee Iiippocrnt-
&c oath precludes the patcAting of any
such Inventions: cOnsc, ,Ivntiy ali IN
strunents are free 10 bC mndc by al
and every surgical manu:uciory
The making of surgical Instruments
tn tho United States Is nearly cOntcln-
pOr1neOus with the beginning Of the
republic. aud one or two the promi-
nent firms today date frJ.a long before
The civil war. 10 no country are finer
instruments m0dc than Ga the United
States. Though the number Of men
employed is small. every man is a
skilled laborcr and an artist with nm
adroitness often as fine as that oC n
Journcyman jOwclcr. ct.p0lo of maxi
ing even tire most dcllC.;n of the great
variety OF Instruments. nnounting 70
about 1000. which surgical house
must keep la stock or h.. ready 10 pro.
ducc ui'ou order
Cast aAJ drop forged Instruments
have ~ lasting value. uud once tho
edge Is worn ofT they can never be sat
isfactor!iy rcsadgpcncd The process
which they undergo dema rs that they
Doe brougL; three times 10 n white
heat Tho FIRST time tho stool becomes
tempered; tie second and thlrd time il
becomes dccarhOnizcd and loses its
temper thu result bclug au instru-
ment with a shell OF hard steel. capa
bic % taking a fair cdgc. but beneath
which the metal Is soft 0nd unfit 20
stand honing
All good instruments are hand
forged Thus prices are doUhlcd und
trcblod over the prices ~ east instgu
ments because OF the skill,>d labor and
time necessary 70 their construction
The workman ln a Careful factory
must mako % study az ls work and
learn the physical qualities OF the
steel or metal ho works With. It's
strength anG cutting ana tension quail
tiles. General operating Instruments
are mado OF steel. silver platinum
gold and aluminium German steel
owing 20 It's tenacity Is used for for
ccpS and blunt Instruments; English
cast steel Tor edged tools. IA 20 receives
a high temper. a fine polish and re
tains its edge Silver when pure is
very flexible and IS useful for clthe-
tors, which require frequent change OF
curve. When mixed with other metals
as coin silver. u makes firm cath tors
cauStic holders and cannulNtcd work
Seamless silver Instruments are least
liable 10 corrodc. Platinum rcsists the
action OF acids and ordinary heut and
is useful Tor caustic holders. actual
caUteries and the electrodes OF the
gRlvanO c0utcry. Gold. owing 70 It's
ductility. is adapted Tor lne tubes.
such as eve syringcs and so forth.
while aluminium IS by its extreme
lightness suitable for probes. styles
and tracheotomy tubes
Handles are made OF ebony. ivory,
pearl or hard rubber. Ebony and rub
Der are used for large Instruments,
though these at times have handles Of
steel ivory makes durable and
beautiful handle. though IL and ebony
are not entirely aSeptic. because il 3
impossible t. boil them for the purpose
OF sterilization without their cracking.
Ivory and pearl are used for scalpels
and for small instruments like those
used IN operating on the eye. On the
whole. the best material for handles
is hard rubber. since 1t may be vulcan
tied on the instrument. thus making Il
practically one piece. with no possible
seam for the lodging OF germs and
hence perfectly safe.
Next 10 the materials the mode OF
making determines the Instruments
quality Steel overheated In the forge
is brittle or rotten. In shaping with
the file the form may he destroyed.
In hardening and tempering the steel
may he spoiled. In every stage the
valne Of the Instrument depends upon