364 PHARMACEUTICAL BACTERIOLOGY 



hypodermic, intramuscular and intravenous injection, is due to the 

 desirability of getting prompt therapeutic effects. 



c. The direct (hypodermic, intramuscular and intravenous) adminis- 

 tration of medicamenta is very frequently necessary because administra- 

 tion per mouth is impossible. 



As a rule the pharmacist will purchase ampuls, ready for immediate use 

 by the physician, from some reliable wholesale manufacturing house. In 

 certain districts and under certain conditions this may not always be 

 possible, in which case the pharmacist must prepare the ampuls. The 

 pharmacist should be prepared to make all ampuls which may be desired 

 by the Mhysicians in his community. The following suggestions can be 

 carried out readily: 



A. Glass Tubing. Ampuls can readily be made from ordinary alkali- 

 free glass tubing, selecting rods of a diameter to make ampuls of i cc., 2 cc., 

 5 cc., and 10 cc. capacity. This tubing can be secured from any chemical 

 or pharmaceutical supply house. Select rods which are quite free from 

 bubbles and of fairly uniform diameter and thickness. 



B. Breaking the Tubing into Suitable Lengths. Break the tubing in 

 lengths of from five to six inches, by filing a scratch with a small file and 

 breaking, with the hands protected by gloves to avoid injury by small bits 

 of glass. 



C. Sterilizing and Neutralizing the Glass Tubing. Place the lengths of 

 class rods into water with 5 per cent, of soda and boil for thirty minutes. 

 Neutralize in 5 per cent, hydrochloric acid, rinse thoroughly and again 

 boil in distilled water. Let drain until dry. May be placed in hot-air 

 sterilizer at 140 C. 



D. Making the half Ampul. Take one glass tube and heat the middle 

 part in a bunsen burner with rotation until red hot and soft, and pull apart 

 with a fairly quick strong pull. Break off the thin hairlike ends and hold 

 the tips in the fame to seal them securely. A small bead should form as 

 shown in Fig. 86, c,d,e,f. A little practice with a steady hand is neces- 

 sary to do this neatly. The half ampuls (one end open, the other sealed as 

 explained are now laid aside in a sterile box or other container, until 

 ready to be filled. Or the two ends of the ampul can be reduced to a 

 capillary tube as follows. Heat the glass tubing in the blow-pipe flame, 

 beginning at one end, until soft and draw out a short distance with a firm 

 pull. Heat at a point about i to 3 inches from the narrowing portion of 

 the glass tube and repeat as before. Repeat this until there are a series of 

 tubes of normal diameter with capillary connections. Breaking these 

 apart with the aid of a file, yields empty ampuls open at the two capillary 

 ends. 



E. Filling the Half Ampuls. This can be done by means of a burette, 



