CULTURE MEDIA 10 1 



broken up by moving it about in tke cranial cavity, while the 

 tissue is drawn into the bulb by suction. 



Pfeiffer's Blood-streaked Agar.— A large loopful ofnaturally 

 sterile human blood, freshly taken from the ear, is spread over 

 the surface of an agar slant, and incubated to insure sterility. 

 This medium is employed for cultivation of the influenza 

 bacillus. 



Novy's Blood-agar. — The agar is melted and cooled to 50° 

 C. The naturally sterile defibrinated blood, usually rabbit's 

 blood, is warmed to about 40° C. The blood is mixed with the 

 agar in various proportions, and the mixture is allowed to soUdify 

 in the incUned position. The medium should be fairly firm in 

 consistency and some fluid should collect at the bottom of the 

 slant. The medium is useful for cultivation of the gonococcus, 

 the influenza bacillus, streptococcus, pneumococcus and meningo- 

 coccus, but more especially for cultivation of the flagellated 

 hematozoa such as trypanosomes and related organisms, including 

 the various species of Leishmania. 



Smitii's Broth Containing Sterile Tissue.— Pieces of naturally 

 sterile organs, usually liver or kidney, are placed in broth, more 

 particularly in fermentation tubes of broth. The bits of tissue 

 are conveniently handled by touching with a hot platinum wire 

 or glass capillary, to which they will adhere. The medium is 

 especially useful for the culture of anaerobic bacteria. Naturally 

 sterile blood added to the broth also serves for this purpose. 



Ascitic -fluid-agar. — This is made in the same way as the 

 Novy's blood-agar except that naturally sterile human ascitic 

 fluid is employed instead of blood. The medium is beautifully 

 transparent, and may be employed for plating as well as for tube 

 cultures. It is especially valuable for cultivation of the gonococcus 

 and also for the streptococcus, pneumococcus and meningococcus. 



Noguchi'si Ascitic Fluid with Sterile Tissue. — Naturally 

 sterile tissue is placed in a tall tube. A deep layer of ascitic fluid 

 is added, and for some purposes this is covered with a layer of 



'Noguchr: Journ. Exp. Med., Jan. i, 191 2, Vol. XV, pp. 90-100. 



