The notion of oiling or greasing instruments is very erroneous, and so far from preserving them, that it will never fail of making them more rusty. The wiping them quite clean and dry, and wrapping them up in warm dry paper, is certainly the best secret for keeping all iron or steel bright at sea, and deserves strictly to be attended to.
_Scissars_: There ought at least to be two pair, one for common use, and the other for particular purposes; and if the last mentioned are crooked, they are certainly much the better, being very handy on many occasions. The best pair should be carefully preserved as already directed.
_Probe_: A probe is very requisite for searching of wounds, &c. It should be of good silver, and the smaller it is in thickness, even like a small wire, the better for use, as it will bend and twist agreeable to the place it is to search. At one end it should have a neat smooth button, and at the other, be triangularly pointed, like a sail needle, in order to wrap lint round it to clean sores with; its length should be six or eight inches.
_Spatula_: ’Tis not much matter what the spatula is made of, whether silver or iron, be it what it will, (provided it is neither brass nor copper) one end should be flexible, so as to be handy in spreading salves upon lint, or for other the like purposes; whilst the other should be more stiff, being very useful for pressing the tongue down, in looking and examining the throat. It should be about six or eight inches long, and an inch broad.
_Bistouries_ and _Incision Lancets_: A bistoury, or neat sharp cutting knife, is very useful indeed in many cases. And a large incision lancet, in the form of a common lancet, except that the point inclines more one way, is very necessary for opening aposthumes, and where a collection of matter has been formed.
_Teeth Instruments_: Of the whole tribe there is certainly none more universal than the key; this ought to have three different hooks, and so that they may shift and unshift, according as the operation requires. The gum lancet I have no notion of, I never saw any occasion for it, and am apt to think it rather an hindrance to the operation. The instrument should be kept clean in the same manner as I have said before.