羊腸線

羊腸線（英語：catgut，gut）是一种由动物肠壁中天然纤维制成的线；一般以绵羊肠或山羊肠制作，但偶尔也使用牛、猪、马、骡或驴的肠子。尽管英语称 catgut，但它并不是由猫肠制成的。

英语 catgut 可能是「cattlegut」的縮寫；另一种可能是其民间词源（英语：Folk etymology）为 kitgut 或 kitstring，而其中方言词 kit 源自威尔士语，义为“小提琴”。其后，kit 又与作“小猫”的意思混淆了。

製作

原材料是肉製品產業的副產品，來源包括好幾種不同的動物，例如綿羊、肉牛、袋鼠、水牛、馬、騾或驢。絕大部分的羊腸線是用最外層的漿膜做成，而最早期的羊腸線，是採用出生7至8個月的綿羊和羊羔腸子，刮去脂肪及其他組織，取最裏層的黏膜，以鹼性溶液浸泡清洗，平整後以硫磺煙燻防蟲、防腐，有需要時染色；分開大小，根據用途扭成不同數量的股線。

用途

羊腸弦

羊腸弦（gut strings）是早期竪琴、小提琴、二胡等弦樂器或弓弦樂器的發聲體。現在大都使用鋼弦，但仍然有講究音色的演奏家採用羊腸弦。

縫合線

醫用羊腸線（英语：Catgut suture）作為手術縫合線已經有一千年以上。它可被人體吸收，缺點是受細菌感染的機會較高。

其他用途

直到現在，羊腸線也被製作成高性能網球拍的弦，但已經逐漸被複合材料取代。羊腸線也被使用在擺鐘裏懸掛砝碼以及弓弦。

外部連結

how to make gut strings （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）

Roenigk, Randall K.; Henry H. Roenigk. Roenigk & Roenigk's dermatologic surgery: principles and practice. CRC Press. 23 January 1996: 93. ISBN 9780824795030. Catgut sutures are made from the submucosal layer of the small intestine of sheep and the serosal layer of the small intestine of cattle.
Underwood, Oscar Wilder. Tariff schedules: Hearings before the Committee on ways and means. Strings for Musical Instruments (U.S. Government Printing Office). 1913: 5691 [February 27, 2010]. [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.
Hiskey, Daven. Violin strings were never made out of actual cat guts. TodayIFoundOut.com. 12 November 2010 [15 December 2015]. （原始内容存档于2018-10-15）.
Booth, Arthur Woodward. The Preparation of Surgical Catgut. Therapeutic Gazette. 1894 [2013-10-11] –通过Books.google.com.
存档副本. [2024-04-22]. （原始内容存档于2024-07-23）.

[1] Roenigk, Randall K.; Henry H. Roenigk. Roenigk & Roenigk's dermatologic surgery: principles and practice. CRC Press. 23 January 1996: 93. ISBN 9780824795030. Catgut sutures are made from the submucosal layer of the small intestine of sheep and the serosal layer of the small intestine of cattle.

[2] Underwood, Oscar Wilder. Tariff schedules: Hearings before the Committee on ways and means. Strings for Musical Instruments (U.S. Government Printing Office). 1913: 5691 [February 27, 2010]. [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.

[3] Hiskey, Daven. Violin strings were never made out of actual cat guts. TodayIFoundOut.com. 12 November 2010 [15 December 2015]. （原始内容存档于2018-10-15）.

[4] Booth, Arthur Woodward. The Preparation of Surgical Catgut. Therapeutic Gazette. 1894 [2013-10-11] –通过Books.google.com.

[5] 存档副本. [2024-04-22]. （原始内容存档于2024-07-23）.