POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION 125 



mediately swabbed up with antiseptic solution ; and the 

 operator must exercise every precaution to prevent the 

 infection of himself and others. It is convenient to have 

 some efficient antiseptic solution near at hand ; it may be 

 kept in a large bottle on a wall bracket and drawn off as 

 required by a syphon tube provided with a tap or spring 

 clip. The most generally used antiseptics are 5 per cent, 

 carbolic, and 1-500 corrosive sublimate, but 2 per cent, 

 cyllin or kerol or 3 per cent, lysol is cheaper and more 

 efficient. The access of flies to the carcase must also be 

 prevented, as they might carry infection. When finished 

 with, the carcase should be efficiently disinfected and 

 disposed of without delay, preferably by burning it, 

 together with the board on which it has been pinned out. 



If the carcase be left, especially in warm weather, for 

 even a few hours before the examination is carried out, 

 the tissues are liable to become invaded and infected by 

 organisms from the respiratory and digestive tracts. In 

 the post-mortem room, infection of the tissues is very 

 common ; out of fifty cases, Symes 1 found only seventeen 

 to be sterile. Ford states that even in normal animals, 

 killed and immediately examined, bacteria are present 

 in 70 per cent, of the internal organs. 2 



When the blood of an animal is required several ex- 

 pedients may be adopted. From large animals, like the 

 horse, sheep, and goat, it may be obtained by passing 

 the needle of a large syringe into the external jugular 

 vein (which runs superficially on either side of the under 

 part of the neck) and then aspirating with the syringe. 

 In the case of small animals not again needed, the animal 

 may be decapitated or the throat may be cut, and the 

 blood collected in a porcelain dish ; but if a sample only 

 is wanted, and the animal has to be further treated, as 



1 Lancet, 1899, vol. i, p. 365. 



* Journ, of Hygiene, vol. i, No. 2, 1901, p. 277. 



