The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-07-03
Your Health
Ideal Sterilizer
For Skin Not Yet
Devised

BY HERMAN NJ. BUNDESEN. VI. D
FOR more than rs years, efforts
have been made to find some sub
stance which is ideal for steriliE-
ing the skin before q surgical
operation.
1t is true that the ideal anti
septic has not yet been perfected.
II has been shown that there is no
known procedure which makes 1t
possible to sterilize the skin COM
pletely throughout the layers
which are TO be cut during an
operation.
Ideal Antisepte
An ideal antiseptic or substance
for sterilizing should have at least
five properties. 1t should kill
germs in a reasonably short period
Of time; it should be effective
throughout the operation being
performed; II should not be neu-
tralized by small amounts Of sub
stances.with which it may come in
contact such as soaps or oils; it
should not irritate the skin; it
should be Of a color that will show
where it has been applied.
In addition, it should also be rea-
sonably inexpensive. Substances
which irritate the skin are likely
TO lower the skin resistance, and
so interfere with healing. The skin
itself has certain germ-killing
powers which should not be inter
fered with.
Study Made
In an effort to determine, If pos
sible, which Of the various anti
septic substances comes nearest to
meeting these ideal qualifications,
a study was carried out by Doctor
Thomas C. Bost of Charlotte,
North Carolina. In his study, he
employed six substances, namely,
tincture of iodine, per cent, tine
ture of iodine, 3h per cent, three
different mercurial preparations,
and one special preparation con-
tanning an ammonium compound.
All Of the work was done at the
same institution. The various anti
septics were used one after an
other on different patients. The
preparation of the skin in each
case was the same. The skin was
first scrubbed with soap, then
shaved, and the soap washed off
with water. The skin was then
wiped with ether, then alcohol.
Just before the operation, the alb
domen was scrubbed with ether,
and then the antiseptic solution
was applied.
Iodine Solution
In the case Of iodine solutions,
after drying, the excess was rub
bed off with alcohol. After this was
done, the skin was scraped with q
sterile knife blade and the knife
blade was then dropped into q test
tube Of culture medium, that ID .
substance in which bacteria grow.
A second knife blade was used to
make a cut through the skin and
this blade was also dropped into
tube of culture medium.
From the studies made, II uas
found that the 31a per cent. tine
ture Of iodine was about three
times as efficient as the next best
solutions, namely, the z per cent
tincture of iodine, and the mer-
curial solutions.
Tests made when soap and water
alone were used for sterilizing the
skin, showed that this method
could not be considered efficient, al
though there have been some who
have advocated it.
Growth of Germs
In the study carried out by Doc
tor Bost, it was found that posi-
tive cultures or growths Of germs
occurred about as often in winter
as in spring, while in summer,
these growths occurred about
three times more often. It would
appear then, that more care should
be used in preparing the skin for
operation during the summer,
than during the cooler months.
1t would seem that a 80 per
cent. tincture of iodine solution is
an effective antiseptic substance,
not only for use in pre-operative
skin preparation, but also for the
treatment of wounds.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
W. D. J.:-About eight years
ago my husband developed a
cough Now he has had pain in his
chest for year. What causes this?
Answer Pain in the chest and
coughing may be due to many