686 EPIDEMIC POLIOMYELITIS 



Methods. The inoculation of a monkey constitutes the only 

 certain means of diagnosis in a doubtful case of poliomyelitis. 

 In a fatal case portions of the cervical and lumbar cord should 

 be placed in glycerin for transmission to a laboratory. In 

 certain cases information might be obtained by examination of 

 swabs of sterile wool allowed to remain in the nasal passages, in 

 order that the mucus may be absorbed. Portions of tissue 

 removed from the tonsils might also be useful; in each case 

 the material should again be immersed in small quantities of 

 glycerin, or advantage may be taken of the fact that the virus 

 can survive exposure to 1 per cent, phenol for several days. 



