Some Practical Notes on the Use of Rubber Gloves

not over conscientious in carrying out even those minutiae which they do understand. Bul^ for our own locally trained men most of whom have been many years with us, I must say that, with the introduction of high-pressure sterilisers, and a complete outfit in the way of operation coats, aprons, towels and rubber gloves, there has been corresponding carefulness in attending to the laws of surgical cleanliness. Gloves are not necessary to the surgeon who only does one or two operations a day, and who has careful assistants. Five minutes spent in cleaning up the hands and a bowl of dilute antiseptic in which to rinse them during the operation are sufficient precautions. But if a surgeon has to spend hours operating on a series of cases, some of which are already septic, the more he endeavours to complete the full ritual of scrubbings and soakings between each case the more will his roughened and fissured epidermis become unsightly to his friends and dangerous to his patients. But if, having cleaned his hands thoroughly and dried them on a sterilised towel, he puts on dry gloves, his skin is then protected however numerous the subsequent washings and however strong the solutions he may need to use, while the smooth nonabsorbent surface minimises the risk of contamination from handling unsterilised articles, and the gloves act as a