There is a difference of opinion as to whether irrigation or dry drainage is the more beneficial for acute suppuration of the middle ear, the two being equally well supported by good authority.
For the benefit of those who wish to use dry drainage, I would call attention to the use of no. 1, inch and a half, cotton dental rolls, such as are used by dentists for blocking off the secretion from their fields of operation.
The roll is cut diagonally across as represented in the illustration, a small portion being left at each end to prevent the cotton from flattening out when being placed in the ear.
The ear is first thoroughly cleansed by the use of cotton-tipped applicators and, if need be, by the aid of hydrogen peroxide, followed by drying and whatever antiseptic the clinician prefers. The ear is grasped firmly and