Surgical sewing

Lynn Poole welcomes station WFIE-TV in Dayton, Ohio, where Paul Kane, former Science Review Director, is the new station's manager. Then, using a diagram, Dr. Firor explains that sutures are necessary when a wound is deep and tissues cannot be brought together with a Band-Aid. A film illustrates the healing process in a microscopic view of white blood cells carrying out phagocytosis, destruction of bacteria. Dr. Firor then summarizes the history of wound closure techniques, from the Edwin Smith papyrus detailing the Egyptians' procedures in 1600 BC to the introduction of gold thread by Fabricius in 1550 to South American Indians' use of soldier ants' bites to clamp wounds closed. A film dramatizes late nineteenth century improvements on Lister's methods of surgical cleanliness and the use of violin strings and cat gut as sutures. Dr. Firor shows current sutures made by commercial firms of nylon, linen, silk, and stainless steel wire and the needles used with them.