380 BACTERIOLOGY. 
Directions for Inoculating Culture Tubes with the Ea- 
udate. The patient is placed in a good light, and, if a 
child, properly held. The swab is removed from its 
tube, and, while the tongue is depressed with a spoon, 
is passed into the pharynx (if possible, without touch- 
ing the tongue or other parts of the mouth) and is 
rubbed gently but firmly against any visible membrane 
on the tonsils or in the pharynx, and then, without 
being laid down, the swab is immediately inserted in 
the blood-serum tube, and the portion which has pre- 
viously been in contact with the exudate is rubbed a 
number of times back and forth over the whole sur- 
face of the serum. This should be done thoroughly, 
but it is to be gently done, so as not to break the sur- 
face of the serum. The swab should then be placed 
in its tube, and both tubes, thin cotton plugs having 
been inserted, are reserved for examination or sent to 
the laboratory or collecting station (as in New York 
City). If sent to the health department laboratories 
for examination the blank forms of report which usu- 
ally accompany each ‘‘ outfit’? should be filled out and 
forwarded with the tubes. 
Where there is no visible membrane (it may be 
present in the nose or larynx) the swab should be 
- thoroughly rubbed over the mucous membrane of the 
pharynx and tonsils, and in the nasal cavities, and a 
culture made from these. In very young children care 
should be taken not to use the swab when the throat 
contains food or vomited matter, as then the bacterio- 
logical examination is rendered more difficult. Under 
no conditions should any attempt be made to collect 
the material shortly after the application of strong 
