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Arrangement and preliminary sterilisation of appara-
tus required by the Inoculating Officer.
(7) Before beginning to inoculate the inoculator should arrange his apparatus on the table, if
this has not already been done by
the compounder.
He should see
that everything is in good order.
The various articles required are—
(1) Inoculating syringes ;
(2) Spirit lamp and apparatus for heating oil, including matches ;
(3) Small trays containing carbolic lotion ( 1 in 20), in which are a pair of dissecting
forceps, spare needles, and some small pieces of lint;
(4) A bowl of carbolic lotion (1 in 20) containing a small swab of lint held in a pair of
catch-forceps ;
(5) A basin of water, for washing hands, with soap and towel ;
(6) A towel for the operator's knee.
Having arranged his apparatus the inoculator sterilizes all the needles he intends to use
by dropping them into oil heated to 160 0 C. The fact that this temperature has been
reached can be readily ascertained by dropping on to the oil a bread-crumb or a drop of
water : at the required temperature the bread-crumb will immediately turn brown and the
drop of water will immediately boil off. After immersing his needles in the heated oil the
operator should place them in carbolic lotion until required for use. In fitting the needles
to the syringes care should be taken that they fit the nozzles accurately ; otherwise they
are liable to fall off, or air may be drawn into the syringe, thus preventing its being properly
filled with prophylactic. The syringes, which the compounder should have filled with
carbolic lotion 1 in 20, should now be emptied and rinsed out with a little prophylactic,
after which they should be handed to the compounder to be filled for use. If the syringes
have not been in use for some time they should be filled with and immersed in carbolic
lotion 1 in 20, for 24 hours immediately before use.
Method of opening bottles.
(8) The opening of bottles of prophylactic and the filling of syringes are the chief duties of the
compounder, and in performing
these duties he should be strictly
guided by the following instruc-
tions :—
(1) The bottles are to be arranged according to the serial number of the brews they
contain. They are so arranged in the boxes in which they are supplied, and if
removed from the boxes they should be covered with a thick cloth until required
for use to protect them from warmth and light.
(2) One brew is to be finished before another is to be taken into use. The compounder
will inform the Inoculating Officer of the serial number and dose of each brew as
it is taken into use.
(3) Before opening each bottle the compounder must see that it is not leaking or injured.
The contents of any bottle that is leaking or injured are to be rejected, as also
are those'which have any peculiar appearance or smell. All bottles which should
be rejected are to be brought to the immediate notice of the Inoculating Medical
Officer.
(4) The compounder, in proceeding to open a bottle, must shake it well, then dip its neck
into carbolic lotion, 1 in 20, and then with a pair of dissecting forceps, which
when not in use are to be kept in the carbolic lotion, remove the cork, holding
the bottle as horizontally as possible without spilling its contents. The cork is to
be kept in the carbolic lotion while the syringe is being filled and is to be replaced
immediately after. If there is great press of work the duty of actually opening
the bottles may be entrusted to any intelligent person, care being taken to see that
he observes the above instructions carefully.
(5) The contents of a bottle that has been once opened are to be thrown away if not
used immediately.
(6) All empty bottles with their corks are to be replaced in the boxes immediately
after use.
Method of filling syringes.
(9) From the bottles that thave been opened and are in use the syringes should be filled accord-
ing to the following instructions :—
(1) Dip the needle in carbolic lotion, 1 in 20.
(2) Insert the needle into the neck of.the bottle, carefully avoiding injury to the point of
the needle and holding both syringe and needle as horizontally as possible without
spilling the contents of the bottle. The bottle should be held, with the side which
is prolonged into the neck lowermost, and the needle should be inserted with its
apperture downwards so as to obtain the last drop of prophylactic.
(3) Withdraw the piston-rod of the syringe slowly, taking care to keep the point of
the needle covered, so as to avoid getting air into the syringe. Should any
air enter, it should be got rid of by holding the syringe vertically upwards and
pressing the piston-rod. When the air is ejected the syringe should be filled
with prophylactic.
The entrance of air is frequently due to imperfect attachment of the needle to the
nozzle of the syringe and can be avoided by correcting this defect.
(4) Any accident, such as the disarrangement of the syringe or needle or injury to any
part of the apparatus, is immediately to be brought to the notice of the Inoculat-
ing Medical Officer,