The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-08-23

order that time may hc saved. Skill
aud haste arc p-iue factors in an op.
Grafton. In tie old days. before Guaps-
thcsia was known. this was e. shorten
the patients agony as much as possible.
After ether was discovered surgeons
for awhile operated more lcisurply. but
soon finding ont that the shock - the
patient remaining under ether 50 long
was always dangerous ana often fatal
they again recognized the i.lportancc
Of swiftncss. Diminishing the number
OF instruments was one OF the methods
for saving time. In the operating room
IN the old days there was always. no
matter what the operation. q good sized
table laid out with ten or fifteen score
of instruments. hfty artery clamps.
scissors, forccps Cnd Inccts by the
dozen. II used TO take over an hour 90
remove an appendix: today the average
Is about twelve minutes
The variety of Instruments Increases
every year as surgeons meet wi,h new
needs or solve oli problems. In our
school here. as Ia others. many inst.U-
mcnts have been devised. Especially
10 those having - dJ with the eye. ear
nose aud throat have we made ya.ua-
bic additions as wr.l as lu the field of
orthopcdic appliances. The Ilippocrat-
ic oath prccluCcs the patcutiug of any
such inventions; consequently al iu-
strumcnts are free 10 bc made by all
aud every surgical mandatory"
The making of surgical instruments
in the United States Is nearly cpntem-
pOrunpDus with the beginning of the
republic. aud one or two OF the prJmi-
ncut firms today date from long before
the civil war. I'm no country are finer
instruments made than In the United
States. Ihough the uuuber of men
employed Is small, every man Is
skilled labogcr uud an artist. with aD
adroiincss often as fine as that of
Jouruoyman jewolcr, capable OF muk-
Ing even the most delicate of the great
variety of Instruments, amounting T.
about 10000. which a surgical house
must keep In stock or he ready to pro
duce upon order.
Cast ana drop forged instruments
have 40 lasting value, and once the
edge Is worn OH they can never be sat
isfactorily rcsharpcUcd. The process
which they undergo demands that they
be brought three times TO white
heat The first time the steel becomes
tempered: the second and third time IL
becomes GocurbJuiLed aud loses It's
temper, the result being an instgu.
ment with shell of hard steel cl1l-
BILE of taking a fair edge. but beneath
which the metal Is soft anI ulAt %
stsud Lauiu-.
An good instruments are ncuC
forged. Thus prices are doubled and
trcblel over the prices Of east instru-
ments because Of the skilled labor aud
time necessary 10 their construction.
The workman In a careful factory
must make n study of his work and
learn the physical qualities Of the
steel or metal hc works with. It's
strength aud cutting and tension quail
tiles. General operating Instruments
are made OF steel, silver, platinum.
gold and aluminium. German steel.
owing TO Its tcnacity, is used FOR for
ceps ana blunt instruments; English
cast steel for edged tools, as IL receives
high temper, n fine polish and re-
tains its edge. Silver when pure Is
very flexible aud Is useful for cathc-
tiers, which require frequent change OF
curve. When mixed with other metals.
as coin silver, IL makes firm catheters,
caustlc holders aud cannulatcd work.
Seamless silver instruments are least
liable 70 corrode. Platinum resists the
action of acids ana ordinary heat and
Is useful for caustlc holders. actual
cauteries and the electrodes of the
galvano cautery. Gold, owing 20 It's
ductllty, Is adapted for fine tubes,
such as eye syrlnges and so forth,
while aluminium Is by its extreme
lightness suitable for probes, styles
aud tracheotomy tubes.
Handles are mnde OF ebony, lvUIy,
pearl or hard rubber. Ebony and rub
ber are used for large instruments,
though these at times have handles OF
steel. Ivory makes a durable and
beautiful handle, though il and ebony
are not entirely aseptic, because 1t is
impossible TO boil them for the purpose
OF sterilization without their cracking.
Ivory and pearl are used for scalpe.s
and for small instruments like thos"
used in operating ON the eye. on the
whole the best material for handles
is hard rubber, since II may be vulcan.
lied on the instrument. thus making IL
practically one piece. with no possible
seam for the lodging OF germs and
hence perfectly safe.
Next TO the materials the mode OF
making determines the Instruments
quality. Steel overheated In the forge
brittle or rotten. In shaping with
the file the form may be destroyed.
In hardening and tempering the steel
may be spoiled In every stage the