CHAPTER XII. 



THE COLLECTION OF MATERIAL FOR BACTERIO- 

 LOGICAL EXAMINATION. 



1. Hair, p. 191. 2. Skin, p. 191. 3. Sputum, p. 191. 4. Blood, p. 192; collection of 

 serum, p. 196. 5. Pharyngeal exudates, p. 197. 6. Abscesses, p. 197. 7. Aqueous 

 humour, p. 197. 8. Pleural and pulmonary exudates, p. 198. 9. Ascitic fluid, 

 p. 198. 10. Tumours and lymphatic glands, p. 198. 11. Splenic puncture and 

 splenectomy, p. 198. 12. Lumbar puncture, p. 199. 13. Milk, p. 201. 14. Urine, 

 p. 201. 15. Stools, p. 202. 



1. Hair. 



Man and animals. 



Pull out a few hairs with a pair of sterile forceps, lay them between two 

 sterile microscope slides and wrap up the slides in a piece of sterile paper. 

 They can thus be put aside or be transmitted to the laboratory without fear 

 of contamination. 



2. Skin. 



Man and animals. 



1. Cut off the hair with a pair of sharp scissors. 



2. Scrub with a nail brush and soap, wash with boiled water and Tub 

 briskly with a sponge wrung out in a 1 in 1000 solution of sublimate, wash 

 with absolute alcohol, then with ether and wipe quickly with a piece of 

 sterile filter paper. 



3. Pick up a small fold of the skin with a pair of sterile forceps and cut it 

 off through the base with a sharp-pointed sterile bistoury. 



If the skin be thick or adherent to the deeper tissues it will be difficult to 

 pick up a piece of the size required. In that case mark out a small rectangular 

 area with the bistoury, detach one comer and then, taking hold of the 

 latter with a pair of sterile forceps, dissect the piece of skin from the deeper 

 tissues. 



4. If the material be collected at the bed-side it can be taken to the labora- 

 tory between two sterile watch-glasses or in a sterile glass dish wrapped 

 up in paper. 



3. Sputum. 



Man. 



A. Ordinary method of collection. For the ordinary microscopical examina- 

 tion of sputum for the tubercle bacillus, it will suffice if the patient cough the 

 sputum into a sterile bottle or clean pocket handkerchief. The material 

 should be examined as soon as possible. 



