68 BACTERIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS. 



perature and will develop into bacilli. This process, 

 however, is not applicable to the examination of the 

 blood or morbid effusions, as the bacillus of anthrax 

 does not form spores in the living body. In this it differs 

 from the tetanus bacillus. 



INVESTIGATION OF A SUPPOSED CASE OF MALIGNANT 

 PUSTULE. 



Requisites. i. Several glass pipettes; if cultures are 

 not required one will be enough. 



2. Clean slides and cover-glasses. 



3. Bunsen's burner or spirit lamp. 



4. LofHer's methylene blue ; also the materials for' 

 Gram's staining. 



5. Balsam. 



6. Tubes of gelatin if cultivations have to be taken. 

 Method. Break off the extreme tip of one of the glass 



pipettes and insert into one of the vesicles around the 

 dark papule in the centre of the lesion ; it may be 

 necessary to make a puncture with a sterilised needle 

 before this can be done. If the fluid does not rise 

 spontaneously into the pipette break off the other end 

 and suck gently, watching the column of fluid so that 

 it does not get into your mouth. 



Having obtained a drop or two of the fluid exudate 

 blow it out on to the surface of a clean slide and spread 

 it out into a film ; prepare as many of these as you can. 

 Allow them to dry, and stain one with LofHer's blue, 

 and some by Gram's method. 



Examine with the oil-immersion lens. Make a care- 

 ful search over the films, looking for large cigarette- 

 shaped bacilli, noting whether they are or are not 



