1937-02-23 — Page 42

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPII, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1937.

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TUESDAY, Franny 23, 1937,

LEAGUE PLANS

What will the League of Nations be doing during this year? No completely accurate answer to this question can, at present be given, for the simple reason that allowance for the unforeseen must always be made in the League's plans for the future. A sudden international crisis may necessitate a special meeting of the League Council, which could obviously not figure in any advance programme. Nevertheless, many of the League's forthcoming activities be briefly indicated. Amongst other matters, three legal disputes will be dealt with

can

Did

ever

THEY tell you

about your

IRST to arrive are the nurses, whose job it

is to get everything ready for the surgeon. The sterilisers are turned on and

operation?

soon the theatre is filled most people have been operated on

with their steam.

Several white tables are at some time or other, But not

covered with sterilised towels; but, before this can be done, the

theatre sister must wash her many know what really happened

hands for five minutes by the clock. Nobody must touch any-

Ile pauses for a second or two, selreting the spot. Then the knife descends.....

Except for an occasional sen- tence, rapped out with little politeness, silence reigns in the theatre.

"Some No. 1 catgut and a non- cutting needle, sister.". "Hol these forceps, will you?" Or.. "Lower the table six inches."

Sometimes, without looking. up, the surgeon will ask, "Is she all right?" to which the anaes- thetist will reply, "Carry on.. She's not turning a hair."

If you look, you'll see the man at the head of the table turn a tap from time to time, admitting more gas or more oxygen.

Also, now and then he feels the patient's neck and counts the pulse which beats there. Or he lifts an eyelid, looking inquisi- tively at the pupil. Satisfied, he returns to his task.

SUDDENLY you'll see the surgeon straighten himself and take a deep breath. Stooping over a table, concen-

trating on every move

your

fingers make, is a tiring job.

"I'm going to stitch up now,'

he announces. The anaesthetist

nods, and does something to one of the taps.

The hissing noise ceases. There's no need for any more

by the Permanent Court of thing which is going to come in while they were unconscious. This asthetic. the sutures arc

International Justice at The

an

Hague. In the first, Italy is bringing

netion against France under the terms of the "Optional Clause" by which both countries have accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court. The cause of the trouble is the working of phosphates in Morocco by the French adminis- tration. Secondly, there is the "water of the Meuse" case be- tween Holland and Belgium. Finally, France and Greece have agreed that the Court shall de- cide their dispute regarding lighthouses in Crete and Samos. An interesting stage has been reached in the study of the pro- blem of "League Reform". The Committee of Twenty-Eight, which has the views of 42 coun- tries before it, has appointed rapporteurs to work upon the chief questions which have been raised. The results of these labours will come before the annual Assembly in September. There are signs that the pro- blem of nutrition, the campaign against the drug traffic, and the activities of the Health Organ- isation will attract a good deal of limelight during the year. A conference on rural hygiene has been planned, and also a Far Eastern conference on rural health, whilst in connection with the traffic in women and children representatives of central authorities of Eastern countries. have already been conferring. A special session of the Perman- ent Mandates Commission will take place in the spring to dis- cuss the British Government's report on the disturbances which occurred in Palestine. It will be scen from this brief summary that there are aspects of the League's work, quite apart from purely political issues, which are of the utmost value. Indeed, but for the League, many aspects of international operation would be left largely untouched.

Co-

contact with the patient unless

the hands have been thoroughly is what did.

washed and spirit..

then dipped in

The theatre sister, who is ably found to-day in any up-to- present, there's very little likeli- going to hand the instruments date nursing home or hospital. hood that one will be left in a tr. the surgeon, is helped by the

tion, touch articles which have not been sterilised.

up

Swiftly

threaded on to needles and hand- ed to the surgeon. The silk- worm gut, coloured bright green, is pushed through the skin.

The assistant ties the knots and cuts the sutures short while the surgeon is fixing the next

Sometimes you find a set of wound. "dirty" nurse-that is, the nurse batteries wired for the. There's a story told of a stitch. Then, what has been an who is not going to "wash up" theatre-lighting. This is in case nervous patient who was obsess- open wound becomes a thin line, and may, throughout the opera- anything goes wrong with the ed by the fear that the surgeon interrupted by green knots.

While the surgeon is taking mains. If it does, the turning had left a sponge inside her. over of a switch provides the After some days she plucked up off his gloves the assistant is In the modern operation, anti- same illumination from the courage to ask one of the nurses, painting the wound with iodine

who happened to be a literally aoptics are, for all practical pur- batteries.

minded person. poses, dispensed with; The aim

"D'you think Mr.

is to remove all germs (by pro- A BAG fitted up with longed washing or the applica

and putting on the dressing which sister has picked out of a lost drum with long forceps.

several drawer, in anything d-during my opera- tion of spirit) from the skin of which are glistening, chromium- tion?" the patient and the hands of the plated instruments, heralds the surgeon and his assistant. approach of the surgeon. Everything else is sterilised by selects what he is likely to need

and hands them over to be MEANWHILE, the gether in front.

heat.

boiled..

has

The bandage is what is called a "many-tail," and consists of The nurse shook her head, strips which are fastened to a He "Only his top-hat," she replied. band at the back. These are folded across and pinned to-

Then he helps the anaesthetist Thus, once the surgeons are

Then he goes to the small arrived, and unpacked his ap- and the nurses. lift the patient "clean." and have put on their

paratus. Nowadays, nearly off the table and on to a trolley. sterilised rubber-gloves, they dressing-room to get ready.

Another injection when the must touch nothing which isn't Some surgeons change right every patient to be operated "surgically

clean."

the down to their underwear, and re- pon is given a preliminary in patient is safely back in bed. If

jection. So a syringe is pre- She won't wake up now for operator is perspiring and appear in the theatre in white pared, and the anaesthetist goes several hours. And when she sometimes the heat of the duck trousers and a vest.

to the patient's room.

does things won't seem so bad, theatre is intense-he must ask Others merely take off their The skin in the bend of one She'll be drowsy and quite con- a "dirty" nurse to wipe his fore- coat and waistcoat, collar and tie, elbow is cleansed, and the needie tent to keep still, head. For he can't touch it Some remove their shoes and of a hypodermic syringe pushed himself.

NOW look round the

wear rubber-boots, others slip into the vein. Within ten. A TRAY with coffer is brought to the sur- dressing-room. The

seconds the patient is probably

on goloshes.

Whoever is nssisting the sur- fast asleep.. She is then placed geon's theatre. In the middle

geon has probably already on a trolley and taken to the three men discuss their work. is the operating-table, standing

In these circumstances the talk squatly on its base. It can be changed and is washing up, in theatre.

This new method of producing is invariably on “shop.". raised by slight pressure with readiness to prepare the patient.

"D'you remember that girl one foot, and lowered by press has to help lift the unconscious greatest advances which has with the appendix we did out at

The assistant at an operation unconsciousness is one of the

ing a button.

•

I

It is in three parts; the head patient from the trolley on to the taken place in the whole history Streatham? Well, I saw her

It's entirely some months afterwards.. operating table, and apply the of anaesthetics. can be lowered or raised, so can final iodine or spirit to the skin. harmless and completely under shouldn't have recognised her. the foot, or the table can be

He has to arrange the steri- the control of the anaesthetist. She looked a different creature.". titled as a whole..

Dr., who has just given lised towels, so that nothing cun At the head stands a small, touch either the prepared akin

ON either side of the the anaesthetic, nods. "Amaz- table & white-gowned ing how people improve when square, glass-topped table: This or anything which the surgeon and masked figure stands. At they've got rid of a grumbling is for the anaesthetist; and on it is going to handle, and place the the head is aftting a man, also appendix.... This patient ought stand his bottles and such other gauze sponges and a few selected in white and also wearing a cap to do wet. That was a horrid- necessaries as he is likely to instruments within easy reach and mask.

looking organ you removed." of the surgeon.

It would be difficult to recog-. The man, who is tying his tic Hypodermic syringes, tubing Everything is carefully count- nise any of their faces, hidden in front of a mirror, grunts. for oxygen, and gags to open the ed before the operation begins, behind their gauze coverings, "I've been telling her for two mouth are all to his hand. during its course, and at the end. The figure lying on the table is years to get rid of it.. Pity she Over the table is suspended a As the "sponges" (they're really hidden by a series of towels. didn't take my advice before." large round lamp, which sheds squares of gauze) are done up in The surgeon, glances ·round, light with no shadows. In- bundles of twelve, and as cach notes that the instruments are cidentally, this is one of the most bundle is examined before use lying to his hand, and that the expensive items in the equip by the sister or assistant- sponges are ready. He asks the ment of an operating theatre, surgeon to ensure that the anaesthetist if he may begin, but one which is almost invari- correct number of sponges. is and gets a ned in reply.

need.

Anthony Weymouth