L24 INOCULATION OF ANIMALS 



necessary to have some shallow troughs, constructed either of 

 metal or of wood covered with metal, conveniently with sheet 

 lead, and having a perforation at each corner to admit a tape or 

 strong cord. The animal is tightly stretched out in the trough and 

 tied in position. The size of the trough will therefore have to vary 

 with the size of the outstretched body of the animal to be examined. 

 In certain cases it is well to soak the surface of the animal in 

 carbolic acid solution (1 to 20) or in corrosive sublimate (1 to 

 1000) before it is tied out. This not only to a certain extent 

 disinfects the skin, but, what is more important, prevents hairs 

 which might be affected with pathogenic products from getting 

 into the air of the laboratory. The instruments necessary are 

 scalpels (preferably with metal handles), dissecting forceps, and 

 scissors. They are to be sterilised by boiling for five minutes. 

 This is conveniently done in one of the small portable sterilisers 

 used by surgeons. Two sets at least ought to be used in an 

 autopsy, and they may be placed, after boiling, on a sterile glass 

 plate covered by a bell-jar. It is also necessary to have a medium- 

 sized hatchet-shaped cautery, or other similar piece of metal. It 

 is well to have prepared a few freshly-drawn-out capillary tubes 

 stored in a sterile cylindrical glass vessel, and also some larger 

 sterile glass pipettes. The hair of the abdomen of the animal is 

 removed. If some of the peritoneal fluid is wanted, a band 

 should be cauterised down the linea alba from the sternum to the 

 pubes, and another at right angles to the upper end of this ; an 

 incision should be made in the middle of these bands, and the 

 abdominal walls thrown to each side. One or more capillary 

 tubes should then be filled with the fluid collected in the flanks, 

 the fluid being allowed to run up the tube and the point sealed 

 off ; or a larger quantity, if desired, is taken in a sterile pipette. 

 If peritoneal fluid be not wanted, then an incision may be made 

 from the episternum to the pubes, and the thorax and abdomen 

 opened in the usual way. The organs ought to be removed with 

 another set of instruments, and it is convenient to place them 

 pending examination in deep Petri's capsules (sterile). It is 

 generally advisable to make cultures and film preparations from 

 the heart's blood. To do this, open the pericardium, sear the 

 front of the right ventricle with a cautery, make an incision in the 

 middle of the part seared, and remove some of the blood with a 

 capillary tube for future examination, or, introducing a platinum 

 eyelet, inoculate tubes and make cover-glass preparations at once. 

 To examine any organ, sear the surface with a cautery, cut into it, 

 and inoculate tubes and make film preparations with a platinum 

 loop. For removing small parts of organs for making inoculations 



