722 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



The apparatus will produce sections of thicknesses varying from 

 1 ft to 50 fi. A change may be made during operation by the applica- 

 tion of a needle on the quadrant of a divided circle, and in this way 

 the thickness may be quickly determined in the case of series sections 

 at the beginning of the cutting. Fig. 123 shows the machine arranged 

 for paraffin and series-cutting. The knife cuts horizontally or obliquely 

 without any exchange, and the operator can therefore immediately 

 change the section-angle with the carrier of the histological object. 

 This carrier is united to the vertical diameter of a metallic semicircle 

 F, which serves as a carrier to the knife. The edge of the section 

 passes through the centre of this circle, which can rotate around itself 

 in a circular track, or can be clamped fast. It therefore follows that 

 the knife, in consequence of a rotation of 90°, can take every required 

 position from the horizontal to the vertical. In each individual case 

 the oblique setting of the section is arranged, as seems best, and serial 

 sections are cut without changing any part of the apparatus. A paper- 

 strip H can be applied, as shown in figure, for the more convenient 

 reception of the serial sections. The gearing is inside the frame. 



Handlet, W. S. — Method of obtaining uniplanar sections with the ordinary 

 rocking microtome. Journ. Anat. and Physiol., xxxvi. (1903) pp. 290-2. 



(4) Staining - and Injecting-. 



Staining Hyphomycetes in Horny Tissues.* — A. Kraus uses a 

 methylen-azur solution prepared according to Michaeli's formula.! It 

 is made by dissolving 2 grm. of medicinal methylen-blue in 100 c.cm. 

 of water ; 10 c.cm. of one-tenth normal caustic soda solution are 

 added, and the mixture boiled for a quarter of an hour. When cold 

 10 c.cm. of one-tenth normal sulphuric acid are added, after which the 

 solution is filtered. 



The material (scales and crusts from the skin and hairs) is stained 

 for 5 minutes or so, and is afterwards differentiated in 96 p.c. alcohol. 

 Good results were obtained with Pityriasis versicolor, Herpes tonsurans, 

 Favus, Eczema marginatum, Erytlirasma. It is advisable to remove 

 fatty matter with a mixture of ether and alcohol before staining. 



Simple Method of Spore Staining.! — E. Thesing fixes the air- 

 dried film in the flame, then covers it with 1 p.c. platinum chloride 

 solution and heats it till it vaporises. The film is then washed with water 

 and mopped up with blotting-paper, after w'hich it is flooded with the 

 staining solution (carbol-fuchsin or Loeffler's methylen-blue) and then 

 heated again over the flame. The stain is poured off, and after having 

 been treated with 33 p.c. alcohol the preparation is thoroughly washed. 

 When dry it may be contrast-stained (Loeffler after carbol-fuchsin : 

 safranin, vesuvin or fuchsin after Loeffler). The film is then treated 

 in the usual way, and mounted in balsam. 



* Centralbl. Bakt., 1*? Abt. Orig., xxxvii. (1904) pp. 153-5. 



t See this Journal, r'oi, p. 602. 



\ Zeitscbr. angew. Mikr., x. (1904) pp. 147-8. 



