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APPLIED BACTERIOLOGY 



a second and a third portion of the cord is removed in a 

 like manner, and placed each in a separate bottle, the 

 small piece of cord which remains being used for the 

 inoculation of a fresh rabbit, and a small portion is also 

 taken and planted into a tube of broth in order to ascertain 

 whether it is free from other organisms. The bottles are 

 now labelled, and placed on a shelf in a dark-room, which 

 is kept at a temperature of 25° C. The tube of broth 

 above-mentioned is put on another shelf just above them, a 

 microscopical specimen being taken from it, and examined, 

 before the cord is allowed to be used for inoculation into 



Fig. 20. — Drying Bottle. 



human beings. The bottles which are used for the purpose 

 of drying the cords would hold about 1 litre, and after 

 being thoroughly washed have the two apertures closed 

 with plugs of cotton-wool, and are then sterilised for twenty 

 minutes at a temperature of 120° C. This done, the top 

 plug is removed, and a handful of caustic potash broken 

 up into small pieces is thrown in, filling the vessel to about 

 the level of the lower hole. The plug is now replaced, and 

 the bottle is ready for use. No cords of more than fourteen 

 days old are used, as it has been found that after this time 



