Iodine as a skin disinfectant in animal surgery

Abstract

In experimental physiology where it is necessary that the animal be allowed to recover after the removal of an organ or the establishment of a lesion, the operative procedure is carried out under full anæsthesia and with aseptic or antispetic precautions as in human surgery. The preliminary disinfection of the skin by scrubbing with soap and water and the subsequent washing with bichloride, carbolic or alcohol, takes considerable time and in most cases must be done after the animal is anæsthetized; besides where the operative field includes the head or face there is always danger of the eyes being accidentally injured by the irritative fluids. Then again, after operation everyone has experienced the difficulty of keeping the dressing properly applied to the wound which must be protected from outside contamination unless the animal be kept in aseptic surroundings—a condition practically impossible in most laboratories. Any method, therefore, which will materially save time and trouble and at the same time not increase the risk is particularly desirable in animal surgery and such a method, I believe, is to be found in the use of iodine as a skin disinfectant.