1896. SOME NEW BOOKS. 335, 



latter explaining their application to special instances. Part i. is 

 divided into eleven chapters, with the following headings ; Investiga- 

 tion of Living Material, Methods of Cell Isolation, Fixation and 

 Hardening, Decalcification and Bleaching, Imbedding, Section- 

 cutting, Staining, MetaUic Impregnation, Putting up of Preparations, 

 Injection Methods, and, finally, Drawing and Plastic Reconstruction. 

 The first, fourth, eighth, and last of the above chapters have been added 

 in the present edition. In part ii. the application of these methods 

 is explained in a series of chapters divided according to the tissues 

 and systems of the vertebrate body, such as The Cell, Muscular 

 Tissue, Nervous System, and so forth. 



The author does not aim at giving a complete account of all 

 methods that have been recommended, but at selecting those which 

 seem to him really useful. Several processes which were described in 

 the first edition have been eliminated in the present one. There is 

 certainly, however, no histological method of real value which is not 

 to be found in the book. Each chapter in part i. is preceded by a 

 short introduction, which contains nothing new for the experienced 

 investigator, but is intended especially for the beginner, who will find 

 there, not only many hints and " tips " most helpful in practice, but 

 also valuable explanations as to the why and the wherefore of the 

 processes employed. The application of the methods to particular 

 instances, which is described in the second part of the book, is also a 

 great aid to the student. It may be doubted, for instance, if an in- 

 experienced person could obtain good preparations by the famous 

 method of Golgi, or some of its numerous modifications, after having 

 read only the short account given in chapter viii. of part i., were it 

 not for the further description given under the heading Central Nervous 

 System in part ii. In part ii. will be found also a number of special 

 methods, applicable only to particular instances, such as Blochmann's 

 method for removing the jelly from frogs' eggs, not mentioned in 

 part i. 



For imbedding in paraffin the author recommends chloroform as 

 by far the best medium for delicate objects, not only on account of the 

 slowness with which it diftuses, but also because it is possible — and 

 indeed necessary — to drive out every trace of chloroform by 

 evaporation, so that the objects are imbedded in perfectly pure 

 paraffin, the melting-point of which has not been lowered during the 

 process. It may further be pointed out that objects so imbedded can 

 be preserved for any length of time far better, and with much greater 

 safety in packing and travelling, than in alcohol or any other 

 preserving medium. This method is especially useful when large 

 quantities of delicate material are collected during a short time, 

 and cannot be worked out at once, as during visits to marine 

 laboratories. 



In the chapter on section-cutting we miss a description of any 

 method for the orientation of minute objects, such as the well known 

 one of sticking them with glycerine and albumen to thin slices of 

 liver, as already described in a former number of this Journal (Nat.Sci., 

 vol. iii., no. 18, p. 122; Aug., 1893). Among various methods of sticking 

 sections to the slide, the glycerine and albumen mixture is especially 

 recommended, while the advantages of the distilled water method are 

 also pointed out. The latter method is certainly dangerous, however, 

 when the sections have to be soaked afterwards for a considerable 

 length of time in staining fluids, especially if the sections are not very 

 thin, but it may be made perfectly safe by adding a very small 

 quantity of glycerine and albumen to the distilled water, i.e., one or 



