Absorption of Surgical Gut (Catgut)

The Committee of Revision of the United States Pharmacopeia recently caused to be adopted a new terminology for the designation and the labeling of catgut. It is of interest that the term gut will hereafter be officially used in place of the misnomer catgut to designate sheep intestine which has been prepared for use. (Catgut, however, is to be included in the Pharmacopeia as a synonym, with special character indicated by its being quoted and used with qualifying words, as in the term surgical 'catgut' or 'catgut' suture.) Four types of gut are officially recognized. These are called types A, B, C and D. Type A is plain untreated gut, and types B, C and D represent varying grades of treated gut, i. e., those given mild, medium and prolonged treatment, respectively. These treated grades of gut are generally labeled type B: mild chromic