84 BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION 



The blood is taken from the veins and grown in 

 broth alone or broth stiffened with gelatin or agar- 

 agar in order to find out if living bacteria are circu- 

 lating in the blood stream, as is the case in typhoid 

 fever and septicemia. 



For entering these cavities or veins a syringe, prefer- 

 ably of glass, with a good-sized needle, larger than the 

 medicinal hypodermic type, is used. The syringe and 

 needle may be sterilized by boiling, with a pinch of 

 soda, for ten minutes or by autoclave, the best means 

 provided the operation be done immediately. Metal 

 parts will rust if the syringe and needle are sterilized 

 by moist heat and allowed to dry out. The hot-air 

 oven is not suitable for sterilizing in this case. 



Milk. Nurses are frequently required to send sam- 

 ples of milk for examination, especially in well-directed 

 hospitals. Of course, when bottled milk is used an 

 unopened quart bottle should be sent to the labora- 

 tory. When the milk is supplied in cans it is neces- 

 sary to have a sterilized 50 c.c. pipette and a sterilized 

 bottle or flask. The lid of the can is carefully removed, 

 the pipette, held only by the mouth end and protected 

 throughout its length from touching the neck of the 

 can, is plunged into the milk for six inches and filled 

 by suction with the mouth. The milk is transferred 

 to the sterile bottle or flask, again observing the pre- 

 caution of not touching the neck of this container. 

 The stopper or plug of the receiving vessel is best held 

 by an assistant and the part w r hich fits into the vessel 

 must touch nothing. As soon as the milk is collected 

 it should be put on ice or sent to the laboratory imme- 

 diately. 



