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56
A.—From the Living Person.
1. Clean with soap and water and then with alcohol the last
phalanx of either the second or third finger. When dry, or after
mopping with a clean cloth, put a piece of tape round the proximal
end of the last phalanx so as to cause venous congestion. Prick the
palmar surface of this phalanx with a sterile needle, and immediately
take up the exuding blood in two sterile capillary tubes such as are
used for collecting vaccine lymph. These tubes when charged should
be sealed at both ends.
2. When there is a discharging bubo, collect fluid therefrom in
capillary tubes, as in the case of blood. When this discharge is not
of a sufficiently fluid character for collection in this way, place some of
it in a small glass-stoppered phial, previously well washed out with
alcohol, care being taken that no alcohol remains in the phial.
3. If expectoration be obtainable, collect some in a phial in the
manner prescribed in Section 2.
B.—From the Dead Body.
1. Cut out any inflamed lymph gland, together with some of its
surrounding tissue, and place the whole in a wide-mouthed glassstoppered
bottle, previously well washed out with alcohol, care being
taken that no alcohol remains in the bottle. The bottle should have
the stopper well secured and sealed.
2. Obtain also a piece of the spleen, dealing with it in the same
manner.
All suspected plague material should be carefully packed so as to
avoid risk of breakage.
It is to be addressed to "The Medical Officer, Local Government
Board, Whitehall, London."