78 
the American Journal of Nursing for May, 1928. <A letter from 
Dr. E. A. Baber, of Longview Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, asked 
us for an outline of the course and details as to just how it was 
carried on. 
In December the student nurses of the Prospect Heights Hos- 
pital carried on bacteriological laboratory work here under the di- 
rection of Miss Rusk, who was formerly the instructor in bacteri- 
ology at Barnard College. At the first exercise on December 14, 
they made up the medium and sterilized it. Then the petri dishes 
were sterilized and the medium poured into them. These dishes 
were exposed in the laboratory, in the class room in the hospital on 
Washington Avenue, in a movie theater, and in the subway. In 
other dishes, heels, cuffs, teeth, finger nails, hair, chewed pencil, 
and money were inserted. The colonies resulting were examined 
macro- and microscopically on December 19, and notes were taken 
on the comparative number of colonies and their appearances. 
Also, on December 19, dilution cultures of milk were made, using 
three kinds: certified or raw milk, grade “ B,” and loose milk, to 
ascertain their relative content of bacteria. On December 29 
they examined these dilution cultures. The results were quite in 
line with what is to be expected in these three grades of milk. 
The certified grade was found to contain 21,300 bacteria per c.c., 
gerade “B,” which is, of course, pasteurized, 14,500; and the 
“loose ” milk, 5,200,000 bacteria per c.c. 
Drug Garden, In this conection it seems pertinent to suggest 
that a collection of growing plants which are used medicinally for 
the various ills of the human race would be a desirable addition to 
the Botanic Garden, not only as a matter of scientific interest, but 
also as a means for enlarging the scope of such a course as is 
above described. Drugs which the nurses ordinarily see only in 
powdered or tinctured form take on an entirely new aspect when 
it is realized that they are parts of living, growing plants. 
We received in the fall, from Columbia University, College of 
Pharmacy, through Mr. Victor A. Lewitus, Instructor, 215 
samples of different plant drugs which are described in the United 
States Pharmacopeia. It would be a desirable thing to have these 
put up in containers of uniform size, properly labelled, and ar- 
ranged in a cabinet for exhibition and study. 
