May 27, 2019
Make Your Own Sugar Water for Fecals...The Recipe
UPDATE: If you're in a hurry for a result I suggest making 2 samples of poop. Read the first after only 1 hour...you can read the 2nd sample the next day. Be aware that EMAC is supposedly occult...it doesn't show up...this has not been my experience but thought you should be aware of this.
This solution known as Sheathers Solution should be kept in the refrigerator. We strongly suggest that you wear rubber gloves...you'll see why in a minute.
SUGAR 1 POUND (454 GRAMS)
DISTILLED WATER 12 1/4 OUNCES (355 ml)
FORMALDEHYDE 6 ml (from specimen bottles and may not be necessary if the solution is kept in the fridge)
Have a clean mason jar ready for your finished Fecal Testing Solution. Don't forget to REFRIGERATE!
Simply add the sugar to the water and slowly cook on medium while stirring. All the sugar will be absorbed and the resulting liquid will be a shiny clear supersaturated water.This solution is the best we have used for the egg flotation method of fecal analysis
HOW I USE IT:
First collect the freshest "poop" sample and place about 10 beans in a small plastic cup. I use a tongue depressor to crush it while adding a small quantity of the solution. Continue to add more sugar water until you have a (pardon me) a light chocolate pudding type mixture. Then add even more sugar water and stir until it forms a loose, runny liquid.
Take a second plastic cup and set it on your counter. Place a piece of cheesecloth over the opening and carefully pour your mixture on top. The liquid will slowly run through the cloth resulting in a strained sample. (I twist the cheesecloth to remove any extra liquid.) Our centrifuge came with clear plastic test tubes that I fill to the 3/4 mark with the liquid sample. The centrifuge is set for 3000 rpm for 10 minutes. This forces the heavier objects to the bottom of the tube. The lighter eggs will float to the top. Remove the spun tubes.
Top off the tube with more sugar water forming a nice meniscus (dome shape to the top of the liquid) and slide on a cover slip. Let it sit for 24 hours while the eggs make their way to the coverslip. (You can actually get results after 45 minutes but longer is more definitive.)
Remove cover slip and examine your slide under the microscope. ***Note: Don't be alarmed by big black circles with a hollow middle on your slide. That's only a water bubble there to scare you.