A protective sheath (12) for use with a syringe (10) having a breakable body (11) of a predetermined maximum exterior dimension. The syringe (10) includes an injection means (15) at one end of the body and a gripping means (13) at the other end of the body. The sheath (12) is characterized by a generally hollow body portion (30) which surrounds the syringe (10) but maintains a constant gap between the breakable body (11) and the interior of the sheath (12). The ends of the sheath (12) are dimensioned so as to establish contact with the syringe adjacent to the injection means (15) and the gripping means (13). When the sheath (12) and syringe (10) are assembled, the sheath is not in contact with the breakable body (11) and the end contact points serve to prevent shocks to the body (11).