Volume 3

Virtue's Household physician : a twentieth century medica a practical description in plain language of all the diseases of men, women and children with the latest discoveries in medicine and most approved methods of treatment / by a corps of eminent specialists, practising physicians and surgeons ; Herbert Buffum [and others].

Date:
[1905]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Virtue's Household physician : a twentieth century medica a practical description in plain language of all the diseases of men, women and children with the latest discoveries in medicine and most approved methods of treatment / by a corps of eminent specialists, practising physicians and surgeons ; Herbert Buffum [and others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The frequency of the dressing must depend on the amount and quality of the discharge, the situation of the injury, the climate and season of the year, the effect produced by the dressing, and by the feelings of the patient. Remember that the one great desideratum is to keep away all germs from the wound and its vicinity. Antiseptic Dressings. Antiseptics have lately attracted a great deal of notice in the treatment of inflammation, especially resulting from wounds. The article most used at the present time for this purpose is car- bolic acid. Lister is its chief advocate, and under his authority it has established a position which deserves attention. It is based upon the germ-theory of disease, which is founded upon the observations of Pasteur. The theory supposes that animal decomposition is due, not to the chemical action of oxygen, or any other gas, but to the presence of organic germs floating in the atmos- phere. Carbolic acid is used on account of its known destructive effects upon low forms of organic life. These low forms of vegetable organisms, which float in the air in great abundance as constituents of the dust, are called by naturalists bacteria, of which there are many varieties. Whenever they find intrance into the body, there putrefaction is produced. These vegetable parasites are capable of a wonderful power of multiplying their species, — a single germ producing in a few hours many thousands. Once admitted into the body, they find their way everywhere, — into the muscles, into the blood, into the different organs of the body, — and they spread destructive fermentation and putrefaction wherever they go. In accidental wounds, it is first necessary to kill any septic organ- isms which may have been introduced from the air or from contact with foreign bodies. We do this by thoroughly bathing the surfaces with a solution of carbolic acid, of the strength of one part of the acid to twenty of water. When the wounds are made by the surgeon, the germs are de- stroyed by means of a spray imbued with the acid. This spray is produced by an atomizer, of which there are many kinds, and is thrown continually on to the surface of the wound, until the comple- tion of the operation, including the ligaturing of the vessels and the final stitching together of its edges. Lister also recommends the use of carbolized catgut for ligatures, being of an animal substance and finally absorbed. When the operation is fully completed, the antiseptic dressings are applied. Besides these antiseptic precautions, in cases of large and deep wounds a drainage tube is introduced to allow for the escape of the serum.