Catgut (also known asgut) is a type of cord[1] that is prepared from thenatural fiber found in the walls of animalintestines.[2] Catgut makers usually usesheep orgoat intestines, but occasionally use the intestines ofcattle,[3]hogs,horses,mules, ordonkeys.[4] Despite the name, catgut has never been made fromcat intestines.
"Catgut" may derive byfolk etymology fromkitgut orkitstring — the dialectal wordkit, meaningfiddle, having at some point been confused with the wordkit for a youngcat, the word "kit" being possibly derived fromWelsh.[5] In the 16th century akit was a "small fiddle used by dancing teachers," a name probably derived from a shortening of Old Englishcythere, from Latincithara, from Greekkithara (seeguitar).
Historically, catgut was the most common material for thestrings ofharps,lutes,violins,violas,cellos,double basses,viols,acoustic guitars, and otherstringed musical instruments, as well as the snare wires of oldersnare drums.
Mostmusical instruments produced today use strings with cores made of other materials, generallysteel or syntheticpolymer. Gut strings are the natural choice for many classical and baroque string players,[6]and gut strings are still most commonly preferred in concert-tensionpedal harps and somelever harps because they give a richer, darker sound as well as withstanding high tension within low alto (E3-E5), tenor (C3-C5), and high-bass (A2-A4) ranges.[6] Many acoustic guitarists moved away from gut strings in the early 1900s when theC. F. Martin & Company introduced steel strings, which gave greater volume to the guitar.
Within a few years the majority of Martin guitars were made with steel strings to accommodate the demand.[7] After World War II, most classical and flamenco guitarists switched from catgut to the newnylon strings for their greater smoothness, durability, and stability of intonation.
Before 1900, the reputedly best strings for musical instruments came fromItaly.[8] Musicians believed the best were from Naples, though Rome and other Italian cities also produced excellent strings. Today high quality gut strings are produced mostly in Italy, Germany, and the United States. They are also made in other countries for local use; for example in India, Mali, and Morocco.
Catgut suture was once a widely used material insurgical settings. Catgut sutures remain in use in developing countries where they are locally less expensive and easier to obtain. Catgut treated with chromium salts, known as chromic catgut, is also used in surgery.[9]
Natural gut is still used as a high-performancestring intennis racquets, although it had more popularity in the past and is being displaced by synthetic strings.
Catgut was also used traditionally to hang the weights ingrandfather clocks, although has been replaced in modern times by metal wire, woven metal rope, or fine chains.
Catgut was also used in early pocket timepieces from their invention up until the use of theFusee chain.
To prepare catgut, workers clean the small intestines, free them from any fat, andsteep them in water. Then they scrape off the external membrane with a blunt knife, and steep the intestines again for some time inpotassium hydroxide. Then they smooth and equalize the intestines by drawing them out. Lean animals yield the toughest gut.[10]Next, they twist the prepared gut strands together to make string. String diameter is determined by the thickness of the individual guts, and by the number used. A thin string, such as aviolinE, uses only three or four gut strands, whereas a double bass string may use 20 or more. After twisting and drying, workers polish the strings to the required diameter.
Before the 20th century, the strings were simply rubbed with an abrasive to smooth them. Today they are generally ground down to the desired diameter using acenterless grinder. After drying and polishing, workers bleach and disinfect the strings usingsulfur dioxide, dye them if necessary, and sort them into sizes.
Catgut sutures are normally treated with achromium salt solution to resist body enzymes to slow the process of degradation and absorption into the body. These are calledcatgut chromic sutures; untreated catgut sutures are called catgut plain sutures.[11]
[T]here is no such thing as 'crude' catgut or catgut unmanufactured.Catgut is a manufactured article and a finished product; the crude form are the intestines or guts of sheep or other animals.
Catgut sutures are made from thesubmucosal layer of the small intestine of sheep and theserosal layer of the small intestine of cattle.
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