| 5. As soon as possible, the wound was cleaned, or debrided, with a wet cloth or sponge. Dirt, gun powder, clothing and other foreign bodies were removed. This allowed the surgeons to see the extent of the tissue damage. Unfortunately, the sponge was not cleaned between patients and became a deadly source of cross-contamination. After debridement, the surgeon would insert his dirty finger into the wound to probe for bullets and bone fragments and further contaminate the site. |
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