Abstract
In order to obtain blood from the tails of several hundred mice for biochemical analyses, 1 it became imperative to devise a satisfactory holder for the animals. Cages made of glass tubing shaped in the general form of a Gooch crucible holder have proved their usefulness for more than two years. The animal is confined comfortably within the tube, projecting its snout into the stem by which in turn the tube is held by a clamp attached to an iron support. This form of cage is an adaptation of holders for rats made from bottles from which the bottoms have been cut, and which have been used in this laboratory over a number of years.
Unlike the cloth case of Shadle and Sharupinski 2 which exposes only the head of the animal, the glass holder illustrated allows the use of the unrestricted tail from which, when punctured, blood may be drawn easily and quickly into micropipettes. In terms of the blood sample taken, accurate analytical results depend upon not only the exactness of the calibration 3 of the pipettes used, but also the speed with which a sample of blood may be obtained, measured, and delivered; for mouse blood clots very quickly. An efficient holding device for mice is essential to success in securing blood samples with speed and accuracy. The cage here described meets these requirements adequately and also makes assistance unnecessary.
Eight sizes of holders have been needed to accommodate mice from 40 days of age and at 40-day intervals throughout life. The stems of all the cages are 3 cm. long; the diameter of the stems of the small holders is one cm. while for the large tubes 1.5 cm. was found to be a more satisfactory width.
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