William Stewart Halsted: 'The gloves of love' in antisepsis

• Published in: The European journal of contraception & reproductive health care 2012-06, Vol.17, p.S86
• Main Authors: Koliantzaki, S, Dimitrakopoulos, S, Kathopoulis, N, Saltamavros, A, Sidiropoulou, A, Sorras, K, Sidiropoulos, N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Gloves; Halsted, William Stewart; Medical supplies; Nurses; Physicians; Sepsis; Surgery
• ISSN: 1362-5187; 1473-0782

To provide an historical presentation of Halsted's elastic gloves, that consolidate as an antiseptic method during surgical operations. Greek and foreign bibliography. William Stewart Halsted (1853-1922), an American surgeon and professor inserted surgical antisepsis. The idea of the creation and usage of elastic gloves at the operating room was born from his love for Sister Caroline Hampton. She was always wearing white gloves when offering coffee to the professor. At the beginning anyone thought that it was one of the professor's peculiarities, but the truth was that she suffered from eczema and she couldn't help the professor during surgery. The anatomists of that era were wearing thick gloves that were improper for the operating room. Halsted, in order to help her, offered his hands as bronze matrix to Goodyear, so they could make thin gloves for his love. The day he offered her new gloves he gave it his name so the gloves were the protectors of her hands. The use of the 'Gloves of Love', as N. Louros the Greek professor named them, was introduced at surgical antisepsis by Halsted's helper Blood Good. Halsted's love for Caroline was a huge progress for medical antisepsis. It was the beginning of a new era with the use of elastic gloves in all operation rooms.