"GROUSE DISEASE "PATHOLOGY 279 



plucked in an adjoining room. As far as possible all the feathers, except 

 the larger ones of the wings, were removed, and the cloaca, if gaping, 

 was plugged with a pledget of cotton wool. The smallest feathers tionofthe 

 appeared to us to be a particularly dangerous source of contamina- 

 tion, since some might be soiled with faecal matter. Owing to their extreme 

 lightness some of these, unless carefully destroyed, might float in the air and 

 alight on to the tissues during the manipulations without being noticed. In 

 order to obviate all chance of contamination from feathers the body of the 

 bird after plucking was held in the flame until all the minute feathers had 

 been completely destroyed. 



A plumber's soldering iron, heated to redness, was freely used to burn 

 the skin through which the incisions for removing pieces of tissue were to 

 be made. The necessary incisions were then made without delay 

 with instruments sterilised by boiling for at least half an hour. A of obtain- 

 fresh pair of scissors and forceps were used for removing the piece tionsofthe 

 of tissue actually used for cultivation. Cultivations were made from 

 each organ in turn, observing the precautions which have just been described 

 in each case. 



Lungs. The lungs were approached from the back. After the skin had 

 been thoroughly seared with the iron the muscles under the scapula were 

 transfixed with a knife and the scapula freed by carrying the knife 

 out at its apex ; the bone was then turned up and broken. Next two or 

 more ribs were cut through with scissors, each in two places about half an 

 inch apart, and a piece of the lung approximately equal in bulk to a cube 

 one-quarter of an inch in all dimensions was cut out, and quickly transferred 

 to the ground glass plates for disintegration. 



Kidneys. As the kidneys were approached from the back they were taken 

 immediately after the lungs. A piece of the thin iliac bone, where it bulges 

 outwards, was removed, care being taken not to force the intestines 

 upwards during the process by pressure on the under side of the body. 

 The satisfactory removal of portions of the kidneys was often a difficult matter, 

 partly owing to the limited size of the opening which could be conveniently made 

 in the bone, and partly owing to the nerve trunks which traverse the organs and 

 render the extraction of portions difficult. In a few cases the intestine was 

 wounded, but when this accident was perceived the attempt to obtain any 

 further cultures from this bird was abandoned. 



