L 98 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



3rd. Brush in 93 per cent, alcohol with camel-hair 

 pencil, and trim the edges of cut leaves. Any excess 

 of colour may be soaked out in this dilute alcohol. 



4th. Put into half a drachm of absolute alcohol 

 for half or one hour. In this but a trace of colour 

 will be lost. 



5th. Put in oil of cloves for one hour, or until 

 ready to mount in Canada balsam and benzole. 



To Stain Leaves and Petals in Hematoxylin. 



1st. Trausfer from alcohol to water for five 

 minutes. 



2nd. To 3 per cent, alum-water for ten minutes. 



3rd. To hsematoxylin dye, diluted with an equal 

 part of 3 per cent, alum-water, for one hour. 



4th. To full strength dye, if necessary, for half or 

 one hour. 



5th. To alum-water for a moment, or until any 

 excess of colour is soaked out. 



6th. Brush thoroughly in water, and put into one 

 ounce of clean water for fifteen minutes, to remove 

 alum crystals. 



7th. To 93 per cent, alcohol for fifteen minutes. 



8th. To absolute alcohol for ten hours, or longer. 



9th. To oil of cloves for one hour, or until ready 

 to mount. 



Some leaves, chiefly ferns with sori, may be 

 double-stained with hsematoxylin and aniline-blue ; 

 the former going to sori and spirals, the latter to 

 other parts. The process is first to stain in hsema- 

 toxylin, and then to soak the colour in part from 

 the body of the leaf by putting it in alum-water. 

 Next carry through pure water and alcohol to a 

 half-grain aniline-blue solution for thirty or forty- 

 five seconds, and proceed as you do with a single 

 blue staining. 



II. — Double Staining op Sections. 



For double stainings I use hsematoxylin and 

 carmine, and blue, green, and red anilines. 



Of the red anilines I prefer that known under the 

 name of Magenta or Boseine Pure, though Fuchsin, 

 Ponceau, and Solferino may be used. These ani- 

 lines are manufactured at the Atlas Works of 

 Brooke, Simpson, & Spiller, London. 



The aniline dyes are made by dissolving the 

 quantity given in each process, with aid of mortar 

 and pestle, iu one ounce of 93 per cent, alcohol, and 

 filtering. 



The hsematoxylin and carmine dyes are made 

 according in the following formulse. 



Hcematoxylin Dye. 



Ground Campeachy wood 4 ounce. 



Pulv. alum 1 „ 



Mix and triturate in a mortar for twenty minutes, 

 then add five ounces of hot distilled water, and let 

 it stand for two days. Filter, and to each ounce of 

 the dye add two drachms of 75 per cent, alcohol. 

 In twenty-four hours again filter to remove preci- 



pitated alum. This dye is made somewhat after 

 Dr. Arnold's formula ; he using the extract instead 

 of the wood. It keeps, with occasional filtering, 

 in well-stoppered bottles for two months. 



Borax Carmine Dye. 



Pulv. Carmine 7i grains. 



Saturated Aqueous 



Solution of Borax 7h fl. dr. 



Mix and add Absolute Alcohol 15 drachms. 

 Filter and collect crystals when dry. Dissolve nine 

 grains of crystals in one ounce of distilled water. 



This is Mr. J. J. Woodward's formula ; but not 

 so strong, as his is a saturated solution. 



Ammonia Carmine. 



Pulv. Carmine 7k grains. 



Water of Ammonia 20 drops. 



Absolute Alcohol h ounce. 



Glycerine 1 „ 



Distilled Water 1 



Put the pulverized carmine in a test-tube, and add 

 the ammonia. Boil slowly for a few seconds, and 

 set aside, uncorked, for a day, to get rid of excess of 

 ammonia. Add the mixed water and glycerine, and 

 next the alcohol ; then filter. 



Process I.— To Stain Sections toith Magenta and 

 | Blue Aniline, 



1st. Transfer from alcohol to magenta dye (one 

 quarter of a grain to the ounce), and let remain 

 from fifteen to thirty minutes. 



2nd. Soak in alcohol for about the same time, or 

 until the colour is entirely, or in great part, removed 

 from parenchymal tissue. 



3rd. Place or hold in a quarter, or a half-grain 

 aniline-blue solution from fifteen to forty-five 

 seconds. 



4th. Shake in absolute alcohol for a few seconds. 



5th. Put in oiDof cloves for ten minutes. 



6th. In clean oil of cloves for ten minutes. 



7th. In half a drachm of benzole for five minutes. 



8th. Mount in Canada balsam softened with 

 benzole. 



The benzole may be omitted, as it sometimes 

 slightly contracts delicate tissue ; but it causes the 

 mounting to harden much more rapidly, and, per- 

 haps, is beneficial in preserving the magenta. 



Process II.— To Stain Sections in Magenta and Blue 

 Compound. 



1st. Mix' seven drops of a one-grain solution of 

 magenta with five drops of a two-grain solution of 

 blue (non-ac\&). 



2nd. Into this purple mixture put your section 

 for five or ten seconds. 



3rd. Shake rapidly in absolute alcohol for a few 

 seconds. 



4th. Treat with oil of cloves and benzole as in 

 process I. 



