28 BACTERIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS. 



floor and away from any inflammable materials. This 

 will be found to answer admirably and can easily be 

 fitted up in an emergency. 



It would be better to use a tin box specially made for 

 the purpose and having a door at the side and a per- 

 forated false bottom so that the culture tubes do not 

 rest directly on the metal exposed to the flame. This 

 latter had best be made of copper. 



If the practitioner is fortunate enough to possess a 

 conservatory which is kept at a temperature approxi- 

 mating to that of the body, this will serve admirably. 

 The culture tubes must be kept in a box which will 

 exclude light. 



In the absence of this a cupboard near the kitchen 

 fire or the hot water cistern may be found that will 

 answer the purpose ; a thermometer should be placed 

 in it and examined from time to time throughout the 

 day, and if the temperature does not fall below 30 nor 

 rise above 40 it will serve at a pinch, though a tem- 

 perature which is more constant near 37 is desirable. 

 It has to be remembered that we are not now speaking 

 of the incubation of cultures for purposes of research ; 

 we are dealing with methods of cultivation which are 

 necessary for diagnostic purposes, and for these it is 

 usually sufficient if the temperature remains nearly 

 constant at the proper point for some eighteen hours. 



The author once succeeded in making a diagnosis in 

 a case of supposed diphtheria by the following method. 

 The tube of medium was inoculated from the throat 

 and placed in a jam pot which was partly filled with 

 water at 37 C. ; a thermometer was also inserted and 

 the whole placed near the fire. It was watched from 

 time to time and moved near the fire if the temperature 

 showed signs of falling, and vice versa. Next morning 



