62 MICRO-ORGANISMS AND DISEASE [chap. 



open the pericardial sac, pierce with the pointed end of a 

 fresh capillary pipette the wall of the right ventricle or right 

 auricle, and allow a drop or two of blood to ascend into the 

 pipette, or if a larger quantity is required suck it up. With- 

 draw the pipette and inoculate new culture-tubes as above. 

 Or, if blood of a large vein is required, separate the vessel 

 with sterile instruments, and make a small incision with sterile 

 scissors and push the pointed end of the capillary pipette 

 well forward. If juice of a lymphatic gland, or spleen, or 

 other parenchymatous organ be required, pierce the organ 

 after having washed its surface with strong solution of per- 

 chloride of mercury (Koch), with the pointed end of a 

 capillary pipette, then push it into the part required for a 

 little distance, and squeezing the organ press a drop or two 

 of the juice into it. The same procedure is adopted when 

 the pus of an abscess is required, the wall of which can be 

 pierced with the pointed end of the capillary pipette. If 

 not, a slight incision is made and the pipette introduced 

 through this into the abscess. If blood of a living animal is 

 required, expose a vessel with sterile instruments, make a 

 small incision with sterile scissors, push through this incision 

 the pointed end of the capillary pipette well forward, and 

 allow the blood to rise into the capillary tube. If blood of 

 a living human being is required, clean well with soap and 

 water and then with strong carbolic acid or perchloride of 

 mercury solution the tip of a finger, make a venous conges- 

 tion in the last phalanx by compressing it with a corner of a 

 handkerchief, prick the volar skin of the phalanx with a 

 clean (heated and cooled) needle, and plunging the pointed 

 end of the pipette into the drop of blood, allow a droplet 

 to ascend into the capillary tube of the pipette. But 

 all these inoculations can also be practised by means 

 of the platinum loop, only in this case contamination 



