CHAPTER VI 
APPLIED BACTERIOLOGY 
Examination of Material from Patients. 
1. Examination of Smears. —Very frequently it is 
necessary to examine the discharge from some part of 
the body; in such case a drop of discharge is placed 
on a clean sterilized glass slide by means of a sterile 
swab or platinum loop, and is evenly spread (if the dis¬ 
charge is very “thick” it may be emulsified on the slide 
with a drop of sterile physiologic 0.8 per cent salt solu¬ 
tion). It is then dried in the air, and passed several 
times through a Bunsen burner flame. Stain by Gram’s 
method. 
2. Making Ordinary Cultures. —When cultures have 
to be made from discharge, one must be governed 
in his choice of media by the organism suspected; if 
staphylococcus is suspected use meat extract agar, but 
since streptococcus may also be present and since it does 
not grow so very well on meat extract media, it is best 
to use meat infusion agar or broth. If gonococcus is 
suspected use ascitic fluid salt-free agar, or meat in¬ 
fusion glucose or blood agar, or cornstarch agar. 
3. Anaerobic Cultures. —At times an anaerobic organ¬ 
ism may be suspected, and it is well then to make an 
anaerobic culture. This consists of making an ordinary 
culture and placing it in a specially constructed 
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