2. Soluble Suppositories.—­Generally speaking, the soluble quinine pessaries or suppositories which are sold in the shops are unreliable.  Several brands have recently been analysed and found to contain no quinine at all—­or particular pessaries have been without sufficient quinine.  Quinine is fatal to the spermatazoa, and without it these pessaries are simply pieces of soluble cocoa-butter.  Cocoa-butter is the substance generally chosen for cheap soluble pessaries, because it is easily obtainable, and has what is called a sharp melting point—­that is, it dissolves or melts very suddenly and readily at body-heat, but is solid below that heat.  Cocoa-butter in itself is quite harmless—­usually non-irritating (unless it is “rancid")—­and it gives some mechanical protection, in the same way as vaseline or any kind of fat or oil would do, provided, of course, it is in the right place to catch and entangle the spermatazoa and thus prevent their uniting with the ovum.  Research and experiment have proved conclusively that no spermatazoa—­indeed, no microbes or germs of any kind—­can pass through a film of oil.  But if the protective covering of grease is incomplete at any point, it may there prove ineffective, and there is no chemical protection whatever if the particular germicide relied upon, such as quinine, has been omitted.  Quinine is sometimes omitted on the ground of expense, and sometimes because it proves irritating to many women.  Only really suitable suppositories, guaranteed to be made in accordance with accredited medical formulae, should be used.  These suppositories should be composed of specially selected and tested fats, should be soothing and cleansing, as well as protective; should be stainless, odourless, and quite non-irritating.  If they do cause any woman discomfort temporarily, vaseline or soap-suds could be substituted, but might not be quite so certain to prevent conception.

3. Syringe.—­The ordinary enema is not a particularly suitable appliance for the purpose of douching.  The kind of syringe required is one which will not only flood the vaginal passage with warm water or very weak antiseptic lotion (such as dilute solution of lysol), but one which is sufficiently large for the contents on injection to distend slightly the walls of the vagina, straighten out their folds and furrows, and thus let the cleansing and protecting lotion touch every part as far as possible.  A movable rubber flange is necessary to act as a stopper at the mouth of the vagina, and thus enable the woman to retain the lotion for a minute or so.  Care should be taken, when filling the syringe, to express all the air from it—­by filling and refilling it two or three times with the nozzle under water; otherwise the first thing put into the vagina would not be warm water or antiseptic lotion, but simply a large bubble of air.