Medicine droppers are useful devices for distributing small volumes of liquid. They have a range of uses in the home and workplace that are not limited to medicine. Liquids that require a very specific measurement of volume will typically have their own calibrated droppers, but a generic dropper is adequate for many other household applications.
Function
Since medicine droppers have small openings, light pressure can distribute individual drops of the liquid inside. This method of dripping liquids is often the best choice for giving small doses of liquid medicine to both children and pets. Additionally, a dropper can be used in the household for distributing small volumes of concentrated liquids, such as vanilla extract during baking. Finally, these devices have a particular role in many workplaces, including scientific laboratories, where they can be used to transfer small volumes of liquid in a controlled manner.
Types
Typically a medicine dropper is a thin glass or plastic tube that comes to a point at one end. The other end has a rubber bulb which is first used to suck up and then drip out the liquid. Most have markings for volume measurement, usually in intervals of 0.1 to 0.4mL. The total volume that a dropper holds can vary from just 1mL up to 5mL.
Considerations
You can consider using a medicine dropper for any household task that requires controlled distribution of small volumes. According to the Remington textbook on pharmacy, a calibrated medicine dropper is expected to have a maximum error of 15 percent in the volume of a drop, though proper use of the dropper will minimize this potential inaccuracy.
Benefits
Use of a medicine dropper has notable benefit for distribution of medicine to children. According to a "Time" magazine article, when parents give a child liquid medicine with a measuring spoon or teaspoon, the dose can be incorrect up to 50 percent of the time. Using the supplied medicine dropper with children's medicine can greatly decrease this incorrect dosing and enable the medicine to have maximal effect.
Warning
The volume of a drop of liquid is different for all liquids. Therefore, when distributing medication, is it very important to use the supplied dropper that came with the medicine. These droppers have been specifically calibrated for that particular medicine. For other household chores that don't require as specific of a measurement, a generic dropper is appropriate.
