Am'/u0iy?i9^rm*}      Serum  Treatment  of  Hay  Fever.  333 
brane,  carbolic  acid  was  found  to  be  the  most  desirable.  It  had  the 
advantage  of  producing  the  most  efficient  antiseptic  as  well  as  the 
additional  one  of  a  passing  slight  anaesthetic  action.  In  spite  of 
this  addition,  however,  a  bottle  of  the  serum  which  is  carried  about 
in  the  warm  coat  or  waistcoat  pocket,  and  is  frequently  opened  for 
use,  remains  no  longer  sterile.  There  are  certain  varieties  of  bac- 
teria found  in  the  air  and  in  the  mucus  from  the  nasal  mucous 
membrane  which  can  thrive  even  in  serum  containing  carbolic  acid 
the  proportion  of  1  to  400.  The  presence  of  such  a  growth  of  bac- 
teria signifies  the  decomposition  of  the  serum  and  is  announced  by 
the  uniform  cloudiness  of  the  fluid  and  occasionally  by  an  offensive 
odor.  In  order  to  check  the  decomposition  of  serum  in  a  bottle 
which  has  once  been  opened,  it  is  recommended  that  small  quanti- 
ties of  the  fluid  be  poured  from  the  serum  container  into  the  small 
bottle,  attached  to  which  is  a  pipette,  and  that  such  and  the  pipette 
be  sterilized  as  frequently  as  possible.  The  method  of  using  the 
serum  is  as  follows  : 
(1)  Pour  about  a  third  of  the  contents  of  the  serum-phial  into  the 
accompanying  empty  glass-phial,  provided  with  a  dropping  pipette. 
The  phial  with  dropper  is  sent  out  in  a  small  wooden  case,  and 
should  be  carried  in  the  pocket  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  upright 
position. 
(2)  The  method  to  employ  in  using  liquid  pollantin  is  as  follows: 
(a)  For  the  eye. — Bring,  by  means  of  the  pipette,  one  drop  to  the 
outer  angle  of  the  eye,  and  drawing  down  the  lower  lid  with  the 
finger,  allow  the  drop  to  come  into  contact  with  the  mucous  mem- 
brane. A  pleasantly  cool  sensation  felt  in  the  eye  shows  that  the 
instillation  has  been  properly  carried  out. 
{b)  For  the  nose. — With  the  head  bent  somewhat  backwards,  in- 
sert the  point  of  the  pipette  about  half  an  inch  into  each  nostril  and 
express  one  or  two  drops  of  pollantin  into  each.  Care  must  be 
taken  to  keep  the  pipette  squeezed  so  long  as  it  is  within  the  nose, 
otherwise  the  pollantin  will  be  drawn  back  into  the  pipette  again. 
Alter  pollantin  has  been  introduced  into  one  nostril,  the  other  must 
be  kept  closed  while  the  serum  is  snuffed  up  from  the  one  treated, 
tapping  the  while  on  the  outside  of  that  nostril  with  the  finger. 
(3)  The  pipette,  together  with  its  india-rubber  head,  should  be 
thoroughly  cleaned  at  least  once  daily,  and  kept  for  one  minute  in 
boiling  water. 
