ANTISEPTICS

substances which destroy or prevent or arrest growth of bacteria, thus preventing putrefaction or fermentation of wounds, etc. Antiseptic surgery, introduced by Lord Laster, who killed contaminating organisms by swabbing wounds with carbolic acid, wrought marvelous improvement, and laid foundation of manifold subsequent developments, which involve destruction of all putrefactive and pathogenic organisms on the surgeon’s hands, instruments, and dre ings (sterilization), as well as those which gain acce to the wound from other sources; ideal antiseptic not yet discovered; some modern surgeons avoid antiseptics altogether, and rely upon recuperative and protective powers of the ti ues rein_ forced by weak solutions of salt.