A surgical instrument 10 for dispensing a fluid comprising a housing 20, a dispensing shaft 30 which is elongate and which has a proximal end 31 and a distal end 32. Wherein, the proximal end 31 of the dispensing shaft 30 is received in the housing 20 and the distal end 32 defines a dispensing opening 33 for dispensing the fluid and the dispensing shaft 30 includes a through bore 37 which extends along the dispensing shaft 30 from the proximal end 31 to the dispensing opening 33 at the distal end 32. A dispensing assembly connected to the housing 20 which includes a dispensing chamber 82 which holds the fluid 12 before it is dispensed, wherein the dispensing chamber 82 is in fluid communication with the bore 37 of the dispensing shaft 30 and the dispensing assembly is operable to move the fluid 12 from the dispensing chamber 82 along the through bore 37 and dispense the fluid 12 for the dispensing opening 33. A priming assembly (60, Fig 12) connected to the housing 20 which is operable to move an amount of the fluid 12 into the through bore 37 of the dispensing shaft 30 to prime the though bore 37 with the fluid 12 before the dispensing assembly is operated. The device can be used to dispense cyanoacrylate adhesive
