Nurses' Handwashing Practices During WWII: A Historical Overview

Question

What kind of soap would nurses have washed their hands with before surgery in the 1940s. I know they were supposed to wash for 10 minutes.
Did surgical personnel wear gloves during this period?



Help is greatly appreciated as I am trying to write a memoir about my mom and her friend who were nurses during WW II--one State side the other in the military in Pacific

Answer
Hi there Gerri. They would have scrubbed for ten minutes using nail brushes and "carbolic" soap. They would have had thin sterile rubber gloves. They would have understood the importance of 'sterile technique'

Good luck with the novel.
Dr Andrew Rynne.
www.andrewrynne.com