All the basins, towels, and pitchers to be used during the operation must be thoroughly washed in warm soap suds and then boiled for an hour, or—when that is not possible—allowed to stand all morning in a 1: 1000 bichlorid solution, and then rinsed off with sterilized water before using. Two of the basins are filled with sterilized water or salt solution for washing the sponges, another basin holds the wet sterilized towels, and the fourth the solution for the surgeon’s hands. A small bowl is needed for the soft soap to wash off the part of the body to be operated on, also a small pitcher of 1: 2000 bichlorid and some alcohol. In the bath-room arrange plenty of clean towels, a bowl of 1: 2000 bichlorid, and one containing alcohol, synol, or green soap, and a sterilized nail-brush for the surgeon’s hands. The surgeon will send instruments, sutures, and anesthetic. You cannot err in having ready a good supply of sterilized water, as an emergency may arise in which a double quantity would be required. Clean the wash-boiler thoroughly, fill it almost to the top, and boil for half an hour. One boilerful must be prepared in time for the water to grow cold before the operation; it is then poured into pitchers that have been washed in warm soap suds, and rinsed off with the sterilized water. Cover the pitchers with sterilized towels or napkins. It is of the utmost importance that everything should be in perfect readiness when the surgeon arrives. The nurse will do well to go over the list carefully, so that nothing may be missing. TO PREPARE A ROOM FOR AN OPERATION. BY JESSIE MCCALLUM, Graduate Johns Hopkins School for Nurses. _From the American Journal of Nursing._ 1. The room selected for the operation should be near the bath-room, as a porcelain tub filled with bichlorid solution of the strength of 1: 1000 makes an excellent arrangement for disinfecting the washbowls, pitchers, platters, plates, etc., which are to be used during the operation for the solutions, instruments, needles, and ligatures. 2. If the carpet cannot be removed, it may be protected with oilcloth, rubber sheeting, or newspapers, over which sheets can be pinned. 3. The windows can be frosted by rubbing sapolio on the inner surface, thus preventing any possible observation from the outside. 4. Two small tables placed together to form one of the required size, old blankets being used to make the tables of uniform height and also to furnish a comfortable surface for the patient, can be used for an operating-table, care being taken to cover the blankets with a bed-rubber or table oilcloth and a sheet, securely folded under, and tied to the table with muslin bandages. 5. A Kelly pad can be improvised by tightly rolling a blanket and covering it with a rubber sheet, two ends of which are to be pinned together and used to conduct the solutions into the foot-tub below.