To Bleach, Soften, and Disinfect.

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1. Select a good quality of sponge.

2. Beat with hammer on flat board.

3. Knock out the calcareous dust.

4. Put in 5 per cent. Hcl for one-half hour.

5. Wash in water, preferably hot.

6. Put in 1 1/2 per cent, solution of permanganate potassium for five minutes.

7. Wash in water.

8. Put in 1 1/2. per cent, solution oxalic acid.

9. Put in Hcl solution for a minute.

10. If not free of permanganate repeat 8 and 9. Wash thoroughly.

11. Keep in solution A I. (2) or A II.

N. B.- If left in Hcl too long, the sponges will be too soft to be serviceable.

G. - To Make The Hands Aseptic Furbringer's Method:

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1. Wash and scrub well with warm water and soap. (The sapo viridis U. S. P. is very efficient and nice.)

2. Wash off the soap with alcohol (or ether).

3. Before the alcohol (or ether) is dry, wash in the antiseptic solution.

N. B. - The carbolic solution 3 per cent. A II, is efficient and does not offer the objection, which is the case with the bichloride, of forming the black sulphide deposit in the nails.

H. To Disinfect the Field of Operation. 3241.

1. Shave a broad area.

2. Wash well with soft soap and brush.

3. Wash off with alcohol or ether.

4. Wash with carbolic solution A II., or bichloride solution A I. (2).

5. Place cloths (see E IV.) about, so as to protect from contact with all septic surfaces.

N. B. - In some cases, where there is much dead epithelium, a dressing of soft soap, diluted with oil, might with advantage be applied, for twenty four hours or longer, to remove the scurf and facilitate the disinfection. Infected wounds must be disinfected by repeated irrigations and applications of wet dressing.

- F. W. Parham.