TECHNIQUE OF INOCULATION 9 



mendable. Sublimate is less efficient because it coagulates albumins and 

 thus may lead to plugging of pipettes which may have contained blood 

 rests. If highly infectious material has been examined, it is best to place 

 the entire disinfectant solution containing the used glassware into the auto- 

 clave, sterilize it there, then wash the supply thoroughly with soap, dry 

 and resterilize it by dry heat for i to 2 hours at 120 C. 



The Technique of Inoculation. 



Both for serum diagnosis and serum therapy, the serum is required 

 from animals which have been artificially immunized against the bacteria 

 or their products of secretion. Almost without exception, this immuni- 

 zation is produced by injecting the animal with the infectious virus. The 

 method of inoculation is either intravenous, intraperitoneal, or subcutaneous. 



The technique of intravenous injection varies somewhat with 

 Intravenous different animals. In rabbits, the veins running along the 

 Injection. outer margins of the ears are most suitable. The assistant 



sits upon a chair, holds the hind legs and body of the rabbit 

 tightly fixed between his knees and thus has his hands free to steady the 

 rabbit's ears. Another method consists in placing the rabbit upon the 



FIG. 3. Intravenous inoculation. (After Uhlenhuth.) 



table and firmly holding him there while the injection is made (Fig. 3). 

 The ear is first struck gently with the fingers and washed with alcohol and 

 xylol. If the hair is very long, it should be clipped. If the vein running 

 along the outer margin of the ear is exceptionally small, it can be made 

 more prominent by compressing it between the thumb and index finger 

 at the root of the ear. No force should be used with the injections; the 

 fluids should be allowed to flow into the blood stream very slowly. Glass 



