The flushing of the syringe with a side port is performed by introducing a liquid solvent through the side port while the plunger is retracted from the barrel. At the completion of the flushing operation the plunger is fully inserted into the barrel expelling all the solvent except that in the needle. The needle is then inserted into the sample and the plunger is raised to withdraw the sample. With this arrangement, it is possible to take a 0.1 L sample and dispense it because of the solvent reserve in the barrel. Furthermore, the solvent reserved in the barrel provides a buffer so that sampled material does not contact the plunger or get into the annular space around the retracted plunger.