74 LABORATORY GUIDE IN BACTERIOLOGY 



gently hold the fore-legs. If the animal struggles, too 

 much force should not be applied, as this might injure 

 or kill it. The struggles may be overcome by wrapping 

 the animal in a towel or any other similar piece of cloth. 

 The needle is then inserted into the lumen of the lower 

 vein (ramus lateralis posterior of the vena auricularis 

 posterior), which has been pinched between the fingers, 

 or by means of a forceps, so as to arrest the circulation. 

 No air should be injected with the culture, as this will 

 kill the animal. The hypodermic needle is then with- 

 drawn and sterilized in boiling water for 15 minutes. 



After the death of the rabbit, study the lesions pro- 

 duced by the organism, and make cultures on slant-agar, 

 and smears from the heart's blood, spleen, and any foci 

 of suppuration. 



AUTOPSY (see sketch, TIG. 31) 



1. Have the instruments sterilized in boiling water. 



2. Tie the animal by the extremities on a square 

 board, with the abdomen upward. 



3. Note the presence of any external lesions, such as 

 swellings, ulcerations, etc. 



4. Wash with a solution of mercuric chlorid (i : looo) 

 followed by alcohol. 



5. Lift the skin over the pubes with the forceps, and 

 with the scissors make an incision along the median line 

 well above the sternal notch; then diagonal incisions 

 extending to the fore- and hind-legs. 



6. Cut the skin away carefully with a moderately 

 sharp knife, avoiding opening the abdominal cavity, and 

 pin to the board. 



7. Open the abdomen by a median incision from the 

 pubes to the sternum. 



