1 6 CLINICAL BACTERIOLOGY AND H^MATOLOGY 



The method of inoculating- a culture is as follows : 



1. Hold the culture-tube you are going to inoculate between 

 the index and middle fingers of the left hand, pointing the 

 mouth of the tube slightly downwards (so that no dust shall 

 drop into it) and to the right. Tubes of solid media should 

 always be held in this position during inoculation; tubes of 

 liquid media are held in a similar way, but of course their 

 mouths must point upwards. 



2. Put the projecting portion of the cotton-wool plug of 

 the test-tube into the flame so as to singe it ; this is to destroy 

 any germs which may have been deposited upon it from the 

 atmosphere. 



3. Sterilize the points of the forceps by passing them slowly 

 through the flame, and then use them to remove the plug. 



FIG. 5. 



Place this between the ring and little fingers of the left hand, 

 and put the forceps down. 



4. Take the platinum needle in the right hand, heat the 

 whole of the wire to redness, and pass the lower 3 or 4 inches 

 of the glass rod slowly through the flame. Remember that 

 every portion of the needle which g'oes inside the tube must 

 be sterilized in this way. Allow the needle to cool; you should 

 have found out how long this will take by a previous experi- 

 ment. 



5. Dip the tip of the needle into the pus ; pass it into the tube 

 until it reaches nearly to the bottom of the tube (now upper- 

 most), and allow it to rest upon the sloping surface of the 

 medium ; now withdraw it gently, allowing the tip of the wire 

 to trail gently along the whole length of the sloped surface. 

 Do not touch the medium with the g'lass shoulder of the 

 needle, and do not injure the surface of the medium with the 

 point of the wire. 



