or white thread, preferably of silk, and, together with a
pair of scissors and a clean towel, are boiled in the same utensil
with the cotton and the nail brush. After the operator has scrubbed
his hands and cleansed the wound, he places the boiled towel about the
wound so that the thread will fall on it during his manipulations and
not on the skin. The needle should be thrust into and through the
skin, but no lower than this, and should enter and leave the skin
about a quarter of an inch from either edge of the wound. The stitches
are placed about one-half inch apart, and are drawn together and tied
tightly enough to join the two edges of the wound. The ends of the
thread should be cut about one-half inch from the knot, being careful
while using the needle and scissors not to lay them down on anything
except the boiled towel. The wound is then covered with cotton, which
has been boiled as described above, bandaged and left undisturbed for
a week, if causing no pain. At the end of this time the stitches are
taken out after the attendant has washed his hands carefully, and
boiled his scissors as before.

Court plaster or plaster of any kind is a bad covering or dressing for
wounds, as it may be itself contaminated with germs. It effectually
keeps in any with which the wound is already infected, and prevents
proper drainage.

It is impossible in a work of this kind to describe the details of the
after treatment of wounds, as this can only be properly undertaken by
a surgeon, owing to the varying conditions which may arise. In general
it may be stated that the same cleanliness and care should be followed
during the whole course of healing as has been outlined for the first
attempt at treatment.

If the wound is small, and there is no discharge from it, it may be
painted with collodion or covered with boric-acid ointment (sixty
grains of boric acid to the ounce of vaseline) after the first day. If
large, it should be covered with cotton gauze or cloth which have been
boiled or specially prepared for surgical purposes. If pus ("matter")
forms, the wound must be cleansed daily of discharge (more than once
if it is copious) with boiled water, or best with hydrogen dioxide
solution followed by a washing with a solution of carbolic acid (one
teaspoonful to the pint of hot water), or with a solution of mercury
bichloride, dissolving one of the larger bichloride tablets, sold for
surgical uses, in a quart of water.

It is a s