224 INFLAMMATION AND SUPPURATION 



and include (1) microscopic examination, (2) the making of 

 cultures. 



(1) The pus or other fluids should be examined microscopic- 

 ally, first of all by means of film preparations in order to 

 determine the characters of the organisms present. The films 

 should be stained (a) by one of the ordinary solutions, such 

 as carbol-thionin-blue (p. 102), or a saturated watery solution of 

 methylene-blue ; and (b) by Gram's method. The use of the 

 latter is of course of high importance as an aid in the recognition. 



(2) The cultivation and separation of the organisms from the 

 lesions are best attained by the method of successive strokes on 

 agar plates or on agar tubes, the former being preferable (p. 58). 

 In the case of an organism requiring a special medium, this 

 of course is to be used. Inoculation experiments may be 

 carried out as occasion arises. 



In cases of suspected blood infection the examination of the 

 blood is to be carried out by the methods already described 

 (p.' 70). 



