PACKING INSTRUMESTS FOB TEANSPORTATION. 75 



purcliased. The ordinary case never lias room for all the neces- 

 sary instruments, and is a less convenient receptacle for them 

 Vv'hile in use tlian a shallow tray like the cover of a note box ; 

 see § 110. 



If the student is unable to resist the temptation to possess a 

 regular dissecting case, he is advised to obtain one of the more 

 costly, as likely to contain better instruments. The case commonly 

 selected by the special students at Cornell University is sold by 

 Messrs. Codman & Shurtleff at 89, and contains the following 

 instruments : three assorted scalpels, coarse tind fine forceps, coarse 

 and line curved scissors ; arthrotome, and blow pipe. Similar cases 

 may probably be had elsewhere. The additional instruments must 

 be purchased separately. 



§ 182. Packing Instriunents for Transportation. — All scalpels 

 and delicate pointed instruments generally should be packed as 

 follows : thrust the point into a bit of cork, then wrap vvell in a 

 piece of thin jDaper, such as is supplied in packages under the name 

 of "star mills," "diamond," etc. The paper should project well 

 beyond the blade, and be twisted or bent over so as to keej) the 

 cork in place. Thus wi'apped, the most delicate instruments may 

 be sent by mail in pasteboard or light wooden boxes, or otherwise 

 transi^orted. Since no written communication is permitted upon 

 such a package without payment of letter rates, the consignee 

 should be notified at the same time. AVhether for mailing or any 

 other kind of transj)ortation, the heavier instruments, or such as 

 need no special protection, should be packed separately from the 

 more delicate. Small cigar boxes answer a good purpose, but the 

 most suitable boxes for instruments are made by the Swift Manu- 

 facturing Co. of New York, and others ; they are long and narrow, 

 and i)rovided with lids. 



POLISHING INSTRUMENTS. 



§ 183. A. Instruments that have become tarnished may be re- 

 polished by rubbing with a piece of chamois or cloth on which has 

 been put oil and rouge. Perhaps the best way to apply the polish- 

 ing material is to wrap the cloth around the end of the index for 

 small instruments, or roll the cloth or chamois into a bundle for 

 large instruments. In both cases the surface to be polished is 

 rubbed as in scouring houseliold knives, taking care to avoid con- 

 tact with the edge of the instrument. 



