THE SYRINGE.The sterilized paraffin syringe should not be handled until the hands have been scrubbed. The washers and needles, just before using, should be removed from the alcohol solution. It is unnecessary to wash the alcohol from the fingers, washers or needles, in fact, it is preferable to leave it upon them.Using an extra large syringe it is possible to operate upon several patients without resterilizing the syringe. This instrument may be soaked in the alcohol solution, the needle changed and the operator may continue until the syringe is empty.Even though one have a syringe capable of holding enough for several operations it is well to have a second at hand ready for use as the instruments sometimes break or spring a leak when least expected. Never use a syringe which leaks, as one cannot tell how much is going into the tissues and how much is escaping. Leaks invariably occur at the side of theneedle base or at the point of juncture of the barrel of the instrument with its anterior portion. Paraffin in the solid state will seldom if ever escape along the side of the plunger within the barrel of the instrument when the all metal paraffin syringe is used and the all metal syringe is the only instrument which should be used for paraffin injections.The screw piston is preferable to the sliding piston under all circumstances as it gives the operator a better control over the injection. Injections are made with the paraffin compounds cold so that considerable pressure must be brought to bear to cause the harder mixtures to flow through a long needle.
The sterilized paraffin syringe should not be handled until the hands have been scrubbed. The washers and needles, just before using, should be removed from the alcohol solution. It is unnecessary to wash the alcohol from the fingers, washers or needles, in fact, it is preferable to leave it upon them.
Using an extra large syringe it is possible to operate upon several patients without resterilizing the syringe. This instrument may be soaked in the alcohol solution, the needle changed and the operator may continue until the syringe is empty.
Even though one have a syringe capable of holding enough for several operations it is well to have a second at hand ready for use as the instruments sometimes break or spring a leak when least expected. Never use a syringe which leaks, as one cannot tell how much is going into the tissues and how much is escaping. Leaks invariably occur at the side of theneedle base or at the point of juncture of the barrel of the instrument with its anterior portion. Paraffin in the solid state will seldom if ever escape along the side of the plunger within the barrel of the instrument when the all metal paraffin syringe is used and the all metal syringe is the only instrument which should be used for paraffin injections.
The screw piston is preferable to the sliding piston under all circumstances as it gives the operator a better control over the injection. Injections are made with the paraffin compounds cold so that considerable pressure must be brought to bear to cause the harder mixtures to flow through a long needle.