The care of the sick at home and in the hospital : a handbook for families and for nurses / by Th. Billroth ; translated by J. Bentall Endean.

  • Billroth, Theodor, 1829-1894.
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The care of the sick at home and in the hospital : a handbook for families and for nurses / by Th. Billroth ; translated by J. Bentall Endean. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    144/356 (page 132)
    Therefore I shall now state only that which the female nurse, by frequent reading, must impress upon her memory. ANTISEPTIC (DISINFECTING) REMEDIES. Antiseptic remedies, that is, those remedies which are adapted to destroy disease-germs, are very numerous. As each, with its advantages has also its disadvantages, thus rendering it unsuitable for certain purposes, so one alone does not suffice for all purposes. In order not to perplex the reader by referring to too many antiseptics, only a few will here be described. I. Carbolic acid is used in aqueous solutions to disinfect the hands, instruments, the wound itself, and the skin sur- rounding it, the sponges and tampons, and the ligatures for sewing of wounds and for tying bleeding vessels; it is used also for carbolising the materials for dressings. The aqueous solutions are thus prepared : pure carbolic acid is sold in solid form in dark glass bottles, and is liquefied by heat (by placing the whole bottle in a vessel of warm water); the’quantity to be used is determined by weight, or by measuring-vessels specially gauged for the purpose. P’or solutions of I per cent., 154 grains; for 2 per cent., f oz.; 3 per cent., i oz; 4 per cent., i oz. 3 drachms; 5 percent., 11 ozs. of the carbolic acid are added to nearly a quart of water, and are dissolved by being well shaken. Bandage- gauze (very loosely woven mull) is carbolised as follows: mix, whilst stirring, 14 ozs. of finely-powdered resin with about 4 fluid ozs. of alcohol; 3^ ozs. carbolic acid; about 3 fluid ozs. castor oil (or instead of the oil, 3^ ozs. of melted stearine); and this mixture is kept in stoppered bottles ready for use; when used, it is stirred into 3J pints of alcohol. Open out