262 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Demonstrating Chondriosomes.* — F. Meves, when examining for 

 the chondriosomes in the cells of fowl-embryos from the second half of 

 the first to the beginning of the fourth day of incubation, fixed the 

 material on the following modification of Flemming's fluid : — | p.c. 

 chromic acid with addition of 1 p.c. common salt, 15 c.cm. ; 2 p.c. osmic 

 acid, 3-4 c.cm. ; acetic acid 3-4 drops. The sections were stained 

 with iron-hseniatoxylin, and also by Benda's crystal-violet method. 

 Successful staining by the latter method was attained with objects fixed 

 in Flemming, even though the preparatory treatment advised by Benda 

 (pyroligueous acid, 1 p.c. chromic acid, and 2 p.c. potassium -bichromate), 

 were omitted. 



Staining Treponema pallidum. f — T. G. Perrin allows a drop of 

 blood to dry on a slide. This done, the film is treated with acetic acid- 

 alcohol (absolute alcohol, 10 c.cm. ; acetic acid, 10 drops). This fixes 

 the treponemes and leucocytes and dissolves out the haemoglobin. The 

 film is then stained by Giemsa's or other method. For staining the 

 parasite in tissues, the material is fixed by immersion for 24 hours in 

 the following fluid : formol, 10 c.cm. ; water, 100 c.cm. ; ammonia, 

 5 drops. After, the pieces are washed in water for several hours and 

 then transferred to 15 p.c. silver-nitrate and incubated at 35° for six 

 days. The blocks are now washed in distilled water and then immersed 

 for 24 hours in the following reducer : — pyrogallic acid or hydroquinone, 

 1*5 grm. ; formol, 8 c.cm.; water, 100 c.cm. On removal, they are 

 washed in distilled water and then hardened in upgraded alcohols before 

 imbedding in paraffin. 



The author also gives a useful recapitulation of numerous other 

 methods for staining spirochetes. 



New Method of Nerve-cell Staining.f — E. and Therese Savini use 

 borax-methylen-blue prepared in the following way. A flask holding 

 200-250 c.cm. and made of glass which will stand sudden cooling with 

 water, with a well fitting cork or stopper is used. Into this are poured 

 1 grm. medically pure methylen-blue, 4 grm. borax crystals, and 100 

 c.cm. of distilled water. The flask, without the stopper, is then placed 

 in a water bath and boiled for half an hour. It is then removed, the 

 stopper inserted, and cooled down with a stream of water, being shaken 

 vigorously the while and the stopper removed occasionally. The flask 

 is then re-boiled and removed several times for a further 30 to 40 minutes. 

 The fluid is filtered before use. The method of use is essentially the 

 same as that of Nissl, but celloidin sections are preferred. The stock 

 solution is diluted one-half. The stained sections are differentiated in 

 anilin-alcohol, cleared up in Cajuput-oil, washed in benzene, and 

 mounted in benzene-colophonium. When mixed with 1 per thousand 

 eosin solution in the proportion of 4 eosin to 1 borax-blue, it may be 

 used like Komanowsky, etc., for blood and bacteria. In such case the 

 stained films are rapidly washed in 2-4 per thousand acetic acid and 

 then in absolute alcohol. 



* Arch. Mikr. Anat. u. Entwickl. lxxii. (1908) pp. 832-3. 



t Bol. Inst. Alfonso XIII., iv. (1908) 103 pp. 



% Centralbl. Bakt., lte Abt. Orig., xlviii. (1909) pp. 697-701. 



