PRACltCAL BACTERIOLOGY. 



of these sbould have their free ends filed into smooth, 

 short points, and others should have them bent over 

 to form small, closed, oval loops, of about 2 mm. in 

 their greatest diameter. 



35. Forceps, which must not have too strong a 

 spring. 



36. Needles. The most convenient arrangement, is 

 to have nickel-plated metal needle-holders, in which 

 ordinary sewing needles of different sizes can be fixed : 

 as this apparatus is convenient to sterilize. 



37. Scalpels. One should be of platinum j it may 

 be prepared in the manner described in a note on p. 

 123. 



38. Razors and strops. It is important that the 

 razor should have a broad blade, and should be flat 

 upon one side. The strop should be made of tightly 

 stretched leather. A glued leather strop is not to be 

 recommended. 



39. Various bottles. For alcoholic staining solu- 

 tions the most convenient kind of bottle is one pro- 

 vided with a cork through which a glass tube with a 

 drawn out lower end passes. The tube should be long 

 enough to reach the bottom of the bottle, and it also 

 ought to fit loosely in the cork, so that it can be 

 easily drawn out. Then when liquid is wanted for use 

 the tube is drawn out of the bottle, the upper end 

 being closed with the finger. By this means a suflS- 

 ciently small quantity of the staining solution is ob- 



