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BUKEAU OF SURGERV. 185

not able to exert it in at least cue out of the two Hundred and ninety
cases of open wounds ? Tlie medical profession as a body never accepted
the theory that germs of uncontaminated air were potent as disease
producers. But we can all readily understand that the atmosphere of
badly ventilated and long occupied hospitals and houses contains a
poisonous permeable dust, partly composed of epithelial and pus cells
or other bits of organic matter, which when applied to wounds is
capable of setting up putrefaction, suppuration and other evil results.
Or the air may be laden with specific poisons as those of erysipelas,
hospital gangrene, pyaemia, etc.
Witli the preceding facts before us, wliy do we search for new
antiseptics in which the germs live and the patient dies? Why
not clean up? The ardent admirers of the germinal practice have
not been satisfied with antiseptics, but have improperly appropriated
the deodorants in their frenzy to get all. Billroth at his Vienna
clinique spends weeks to cleanse his sponges, polishes the crevices
of his instruments, takes scrupulous care to have- everything in
excellent hygienic state, and then spoils the whole thing by daubing
Iodoform powder over otherwise clean wounds. I understand that this
same plan is somewhat in use in New York hospitals, but I am
convinced from Billrotlrs statistics, tliat it is not only useless, but
actually unscientific and harmful. But not satisfied \)^ith this they
take up Corrosive sublimate and for a time vaunt it to the skies as the
l>est of all But what is the result ? At a regular meeting of the St.
