APPARATUS 
FOR 
COLLECTING WATER 
FOR 
Bacteriological Examination. 
By Samuel G. DnpsL-M.D-- 
Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. 
Reprinted from The Times and Register, October 24, 1S91. 
PHILADELPHIA : 
The American Medical Press Company, Limited. 
1891. APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING WATER 
FOR BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION. 
By SAMUEL G. DIXON, M.D., 
Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. 
THE instrument about to be described is so con- 
structed, that water may be collected and trans- 
ported in it to a laboratory, and there be discharged 
in any given quantity into a culture medium held in 
either a test-tube, dish or flask, without exposure to 
the foreign life floating in the atmosphere. 
Reference to the illustration shows a burette with 
glass stop-cock at “ G.” The upper end of burette 
“A ” is connected with neck of glass tunnel “ C ” by 
means of rubber tube “ B,” furnished with an ordinary 
compressor. The glass funnel C ” is so blown, that 
its top is of the same diameter as the tap from which 
the wrater is to be taken. The upper rim of this fun- 
nel is fitted with rubber tube or sleeve “D’’ of the 
same size The upper end of rubber sleeve “ D ” and 
spitz “ H ” at lower end of burette are plugged with 
sterilized, non absorbent cotton wool. The entire 
apparatus can be placed in a steam sterilizer, and 
there effectually sterilized. It is then ready to be 2 
placed in a box made in any convenient style for 
transportation. 
In practice, the method of collect- 
ing the water, provided it is fur- 
nished through a tap or pipe, is, to 
first permit it to flow for several 
minutes. Then wash the outside of 
tap or spigot, as well as the outside 
of rubber sleeve indicated by the 
letter “D,” with a solution of bi- 
chloride of mercury (i-t.ooo). The 
cotton plug marked “E” is gradu- 
ally removed, as the rubber tube or 
sleeve “C” is stretched over the 
end of the discharge tap or pipe 
which completes the attachment of 
the apparatus. At this stage of the 
manipulation, the rubber tube “ B ” 
is permitted to open, by releasing 
the compress. The glass stop-cock 
“ G” is then turned on, this permits 
the water to drive out the cotton 
wool plug in spitz, and flow through 
all the respective parts of the ap- 
paratus. The water should flow for 
several minutes, before the glass 
stop cock “ G ” is turned" off, and 
the compressor on rubber tube “ C ” 
closed by means of its thumb screw. 
As soon as the flow of water is shut 
off, the spitz should be plugged 
with sterilized cotton wool. 
Under these conditions, you have 
tightly sealed in the burette a por- 
tion of the stream of water that was 
flowing through it continuously 
from the tap or pipe from which the water was fur- 
E 
D 
c 
&- 
A- 
G 
W- 3 
nished, without its having been exposed in the least, 
to foreign substances. 
Upon removing the neck of the glass funnel “ C ” 
from the rubber tube or sleeve, a sterilized cotton 
wool plug is at one and the same time worked into 
the rubber tube. The burette and its accessories, 
containing the water collected, can now be placed in a 
box or case for transportation. 
To plant the water so collected the burette is placed 
in an ordinary holder, while the vessel containing the 
culture medium is taken in the operator’s hand and 
the spitz of the burette washed with the bichloride 
solution, the cotton plug removed from its aperture, 
and the glass end worked down through cotton or 
whatever medium covers the vessel containing the soil. 
The compressor “ B ” is then loosened so as to permit 
of an air supply through the cotton wool plug that 
was introduced upon the removal of the neck of the 
glass funnel. 
By a careful turning of stop-cock “ G ” any quan- 
tity of water desired for cultivation can be dropped 
into the nutritive medium.