366 



PHARMACEUTICAL BACTERIOLOGY 



steam sterilizer) for from 20 to 30 minutes once each day for three days. 

 Should the autoclave be used, one exposure for a period of 20 minutes at 

 i20C. is sufficient to kill all organisms, including spore. 



It is of vital importance in preparing liquids for hypodermic and intra- 

 venous injection to have absolutely perfect solutions. There must be no 

 insoluble particles as these might cause serious harm. After the solutions 

 are made they should be forced through a Berkefeld or Pasteur-Chamber- 

 land filter. All operations should be done under aseptic conditions, using 

 only chemically pure materials and boiled distilled water. If the contents 

 of the ampuls become cloudy after sterilization, or if the inside of the glass 

 tubes show opacities, something is wrong and such ampuls should be 

 rejected. Also reject all "leaks," indicated by the aniline color which 

 will appear on the inside of the tube. 



The finished ampuls are now ready for use. The physician simply 

 breaks of! one end of the ampul, inserts the hypodermic needle (sterilized) 

 upends the ampul and aspirates the contents of the ampul into the syringe 

 by simply drawing down the piston. A second method is to remove the 

 piston from the syringe tube, break off one end of the ampul, insert this end 

 into the open of the piston tube, break off the other end of the ampul, 

 whereupon the contents will flow into the piston tube; afterward replace 

 the piston rod. In this latter method great care must be observed so as 

 not to get small particles of broken glass into the hypodermic syringe. 



Use white glass for making ampuls. Those filled with solutions which 

 are affected by light may be kept in an amber-colored bottle or other con- 

 tainer which is impervious to light. 



The following substances are commonly put up in ampuls. Many 

 others can be so put up. Each ampul should contain enough material for 

 one dose or for one application, as the case may be. In the columns to the 

 right are given the sterilization temperatures; the preferred or only usable 

 temperatures being given in degrees, the permissible method being indi- 

 cated by "Yes" and the inadmissible method being indicated by "No." 

 In case of doubt it is always advisable to use the lower temperature (60 C., 

 hourly for from four to eight days). 



