Inflammation is not a disease in and of itself, and it often signifies that something more sinister is going on. Until this distinction was made, it was difficult for surgeons to understand the rationale behind using antiseptics before infection set in, especially because many in the medical community believed inflammation and pus were integral parts of the healing process. Good, clean, and limited laudable pus was necessary for normal wound healing, but excessive or contaminated pus was seen to be a dangerous medium for putrefaction.
