. The practice of anæsthetics . Fig. 4K.—Method of holding mask (or cap), so that the nurse maycatch and tie in position without touching the disinfected hands of thewearer. These masks are worn in order to prevent particlesof sputum being projected into a wound, if theoperator or assistants speak or breathe heavily duringan operation. That this is a source of infection can Series- 16 232 PERSONAL PREPARATION OF be easily proved experimentally by speaking over aculture medium exposed in a Petri dish. The culturesobtained vary in number according to the manner ofspeech of the speaker.
. The practice of anæsthetics . Fig. 4K.—Method of holding mask (or cap), so that the nurse maycatch and tie in position without touching the disinfected hands of thewearer. These masks are worn in order to prevent particlesof sputum being projected into a wound, if theoperator or assistants speak or breathe heavily duringan operation. That this is a source of infection can Series- 16 232 PERSONAL PREPARATION OF be easily proved experimentally by speaking over aculture medium exposed in a Petri dish. The culturesobtained vary in number according to the manner ofspeech of the speaker. Some masks in use are hot,uncomfortable, and unhealthy for the wearer, especiallyif worn for hours on end. This is particularly thecase when mask and cap are combined in one piecewhich envelopes the whole head and neck, leavingonly an aperture for the eyes. Shoes.—Some operators wear strong rubber shoes. Fig. 5.—Shoe dip. over their boots, which are put on before the theatreis entered. This is done both to prevent filth beingdisseminated on the theatre floor and to protect theboots. The latter function is not so necessarv inthese days of dry operating. Shoe Dips.—With the former object in view, a betterplan, to my mind, is to saturate the outside of theboots with some such antiseptic as 5 per cent, formalinbefore entering the theatre. This can be done in an THE SURGEON AND ASSISTANTS 233 easy and simple way by having, outside the door ofthe theatre, a small trough, measuring 14 in. by 6 2 in., made of zinc or stoneware, which is filledwith cotton-wool saturated with the formalin solution(tig. 5). The cotton-wool should prevent the solution
Size: 1955px × 1278px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjecta, booksubjectsurgery
