How the surgeon’s rubber gloves are made

This photograph hadthe caption "For the safety of the surgeon – and the patient – rubber gloves are essential in modern operation practice." It shows gloves, still on the moulds, being placed in curing ovens to remove stickiness and to make them fit for use. The rubber glove was invented by William Stewart Halsted, chief of surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, after a nurse developed dermatitis from handling chemicals in 1889. Gloves were first used in surgery in 1894, and soon the incidence of infection following operations reduced considerably.

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