MATERIAL FOR EXAMINATION IN DISEASE. 243 
A statement of the conditions under which materials 
are obtained should always accompany them when sent 
to the laboratory for examination, even if the exami- 
nation is to be made by the one who made the cul- 
tures. These facts should be noted, or otherwise at 
some future date they may be forgotten and mislead- 
ing information sent out. The work of obtaining 
material for examination without contamination is at 
times one of extreme difficulty. It simply must be 
remembered that if contamination does take place our 
results may become entirely vitiated, and if the diffi- 
culties are so great that we cannot avoid it, it may 
simply mean that under such conditions no suitable 
examination can be made. Where the substance to 
be studied cannot be immediately subjected to cultures 
or animal inoculations, it should be transferred in a 
sterile bottle as soon as possible to a location where the 
cultures can be made. If for any reason delay must 
take place, the material should at least be put in a 
refrigerator, where cold will both prevent any further 
growth of some varieties of bacteria and lessen the 
danger of the death of others. After having made 
the cultures, some of the infected material should 
always be smeared on a couple of clean slides or cover- 
glasses and allowed to dry. These can be stained and 
examined later, and may give much valuable informa- 
tion. 
In obtaining samples of fluid, such as urine, feces, 
etc., the bottles in which they are placed should always 
be sterile, and, of course, no antiseptic should be added. 
It is necessary to clearly explain this to the nurse, for 
she has probably been instructed to add disinfectants 
to all discharges. Disinfected material is, of course, 
