to do:--"to bring together separated parts, to separate
those that have become abnormally united, and to extirpate what is
superfluous."

In his second chapter on healing he talks about healing by first and
second intention. Wounds must be more carefully looked to in summer than
in winter, because _putrefactio est major in aestate quam in hyeme_,
putrefaction is greater in summer than in winter. For proper union care
must be exercised to bring the wound edges accurately together and not
allow hair, or oil, or dressings to come between them. In large wounds
he considers stitching indispensable, and recommends for this a fine,
square needle. The preferable suture material in his experience was silk
or linen.

The end of the wound was to remain open in order that lint might be
placed therein in order to draw off any objectionable material. He is
particularly insistent on the necessity for drainage. In deep wounds
special provision must be made, and in wounds of extremities the limb
must be so placed as to encourage drainage. If drainage does not take
place, then either the wound must be thoroughly opened, or if necessary
a counter opening must be made to provide drainage. All his treatment of
wounds is dry, however. Water, he considered, always did harm. We can
readily understand that the water generally available and especially as
surgeons saw it in camps and on the battlefield, was likely to do much
more harm than good. In penetrating wounds of the belly cavity, if there
was difficulty in bringing about the reposition of the intestines, they
were first to be pressed back with a sponge soaked in warm wine. Other
manipulations are suggested, and if necessary the wound must be
enlarged. If the omentum finds its way out of the wound, all of it that
is black or green must be cut off. In cases where the intestines are
wounded they are to be sewed with a small needle and a silk thread and
care is to be exercised in bringing about complete closure of the wound.
This much will give a good idea of Bruno's thoroughness. Altogether,
Gurlt, in his "History of Surgery," gives about fifteen large octavo
pages of rather small type to a _brief_ compendium of Bruno's teachings.

One or two other remarks of Bruno are rather interesting in the light of
modern developments in medicine. For instance, he suggests the
possibility of being able to feel a stone in the bladder by means of
bimanual palpation. He teaches that mothers may often be