The McIntosh and Fildes' anaerobic jar is a microbiology laboratory instrument used to create anaerobic conditions for culturing obligate anaerobes, though it requires costly apparatus and a gas supply. This system works by evacuating air and replacing it with a gas mixture, but some residual oxygen remains, which is then converted to water using a catalyst. The system is increasingly being replaced by the more convenient gaspak system.

2. ANAEROBIC JAR
M.MEENAKSHI,
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
DEPT OF MICROBIOLOGY,
SRI RAMAKRISHNA CAS FOR WOMEN

3.  McIntosh and Fildes’ anaerobic jar is an instrument used in Microbiology
laboratory, for the generation of anaerobic condition (anaerobiosis) to culture
obligates anaerobes such as Clostridium spp.
 Anaerobiosis obtained by McIntosh and Fildes’ anaerobic jar is one of the excellent
and most widely used method for anaerobiosis but it requires costly special
apparatus and vacuum pump.
 Availability of gas supply is another major drawback of this system.
 Currently, it is being replaced by more convenient GasPak system.

8.  McIntosh and Fildes’ anaerobic jar works on the principle
of evacuation and replacement, where the air inside the
chamber is evacuated and replaced with mixture of
gases (consisting of 5%CO2, 10%H2 and 85%N2) .
 It is practically impossible to evacuate all the air so some
amount of oxygen will still be left behind.
 The residual oxygen left behind is converted to water
using Spongy palladium or platinum catalyst.
 The catalyst acts as a catalyzing agent causing slow
combination of hydrogen and oxygen to form water.
Reduced methylene blue is generally used as indicator
(mixture of NaOH, methylene blue, and glucose).
 It becomes colorless anaerobically but regains blue color
on exposure to oxygen.