The modern treatment of wounds.

  • Summers, John Edwards, 1858-1935.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The modern treatment of wounds. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    are ieinoved as well as all light ruiuiiuiej liie wood- work aroimd the windows aud doors is goue over with daiiii> towels. If there is uo carpet on the iloor, this should be mopped. .\ithough it is preieiable to take up a earpet from the tioor of u room to be used as au operating rot)ni, it is not essential, as the carpet may be s])rinkled with water, and that part unOer aud around ihe operating table protected with sneets. There should be no dusting or sweeping. A visit to the kitchen aud other rooms will result in the finding of an operating table, either long enough for the case in hand, or it may be made so by placing a small table at either end to suppoit the head or feet; in lieu of the small table, a box rested upon a chair does very well. In most cases a table suHiciently long to sup- port the head, trunk, and lower extremities as far as the flexure of the knees will do. A short kitchen table can usually be lengthened as described so as to answer the purposes of au operating table better than can the usual extension dining-room table, which is too wide for efficient aid from an assistant when, per- haps, it may be most needed. When the Trendelen- burg posture is required and the surgeon has not at hand a Krug frame, or some similar contrivance, the difficulty is easily overcome by tightly pinning a folded sheet or blanket around the four legs of a stiff-backed chair, the sheet or blanket being so fastened that it covers well the bottom of the chair legs. When the chair is placed upon the table in the position of a ''bed- rest it makes a frame upon which, with the legs hang- ing over the pinned sheet or blanket, a Trendelenburg position of from 40° to 45° is obtained. One table is selected upon which to ]dace iusti-u- ments; another for dressing and sponging material. Most any piece of furniture having a flat top will do (juite as well as a table for these purposes. Chairs should be placed convenient to both the operator and bis assistant, upon wb.ich may be placed bowls to con- tain boiled water or antiseptic solutions in which their hands may be dipped from time to time. The an- esthelizei- should receive the consideration of a chair.