360 PHARMACETJTICAL BACTERIOLOGY 



and rinsing in 2 to 5 per cent, hydrochloric acid. Finally wash and rinse 

 in hot sterile water and allow to drain. Wipe dry and plug lightly with 

 cotton. Place the plugged bottles in a hot-air sterilizer and heat for one 

 hour at 130° C. to 140° C. Keep these cleaned, sterilized, and cotton 

 plugged bottles in clean container in a dry clean store-room, until wanted 

 for use. 



b. Porcelain and Similar Containers. — May be cleaned and sterilized 

 like glassware. Plugging with cotton is as a rule inadmissible. 



c. Large Flasks, Jugs, Etc—Large containers are as a rule difficult 

 to steriHze and for this very reason are often subject to special neglect. 

 Proceed much as for bottles, observing greater caution as to changes in 

 temperature. Large bottles, carboys and similar containers cannot be 

 sterilized by means of boiUng hot water as they are very apt to crack. 

 They may be sterilized by means of carboHc acid (5 per cent.), lysol (1.5 

 per cent.) or formaldehyde (4 per cent.), then thoroughly rinsed in sterile 

 water, allowed to drain, plugged with cotton, carefully heated in hot-air 

 sterilizer for one hour or more at 115° to 120° C. Cool gradually. 



d. Tin Containers. — Wash and rinse thoroughly in water; boil for 

 thirty minutes, drain and dry and steriUze in dry-air sterilizer for one 

 hour at 100° C. 



B. Sterilization of Apparatus and Tools.— It is of the highest impor- 

 tance that mortar and pestle, spatulas, percolators, pill and suppository 

 machines, mixing plates, etc., etc., should be clean and sterile. This 

 means a liberal use of hot water, green or soft soap, and clean towels. 

 The sink, the floor of the dispensing room, the tables, chairs, desks, in fact 

 everything in and about the dispensing room should be scrupulously clean. 



C. Sterilization of Corks and Other Stoppers for Containers. — It would 

 be energy wasted to clean and sterilize the containers if the stoppers are not 

 also clean and sterile. Sterilize corks by washing in hot 60 to 75 per cent, 

 alcohol, drain and heat in hot-air sterilizer for one hour at 130° C. Keep 

 these corks in sterihzed wide-mouthed ground-glass capped bottles. Take 

 out corks as wanted by means of a sterile pair of pincers, not by means of 

 fingers. Other stoppers, as of glass, of wood, of rubber, must also be 

 cleaned and sterihzed. Rubber caps, rubber stoppers, and other rubber 

 goods may be sterilized by boiling in water for thirty minutes. 



D. Sterilization of Surgical Supplies. — a. Bandaging materials, cotton, 

 absorbent gauze, etc., may be sterihzed by wrapping in cheese cloth or 

 filter paper, first placing a grain of f uchsin or other aniline dye in the center 

 of the package (wrapped in paper or cloth), and sterilizing in steam for one 

 hour. The dye particle is introduced as a test object to ascertain if the 

 steam has penetrated the entire package. If it has penetrated the entire 

 package it will be indicated by a spreading of the color. Afterward, dry 



