IMPORTANT PATHOGENIC BACTERIA 107 



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 

 foci of suppuration. 



DIRECTIONS FOR AUTOPSIES (SEE SKETCH, FIG. 31) 

 See Mallory and Wright, Pathological Technique. 



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 (1:1 ,000) 

 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 along the fore- and hind-legs. 



6. Cut the skin away with a moderately sharp 

 knife, avoiding opening the abdominal cavity. 



7. Open the abdomen by a median incision from the 

 pubes to the sternum. 



8. Remove the anterior thoracic wall by cutting 

 away the ribs from below upward on each side to the 

 thoracic apex. 



The viscera are now exposed. Cultures and smears 

 should be made from the heart's blood, peritoneal 

 cavity, spleen, liver, and localized foci of suppuration. 



Gram stains are of special value inasmuch as staphy- 

 lococci are gram positive, while the tissues are more 

 or less decolorized. 



