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December 14th, 1883. — Conversational Meeting. 



The first demonstration of the second series waB given by Mr. T. 

 Charters White, M.R.C.S., L.D.S., &c. ; the subject being the method of 

 preparing sections of hard tissues. 



Mr. White prefaced his demonstration by saying, " These demonstrations 

 have very properly been instituted by the Quekett Microscopical Club 

 for the purpose of carrying out the educational programme laid down 

 by its founders in -which it was intimated that " each member would 

 be solicited to bring his own individual experience, be it ever so small, 

 and cast it into the treasury for the general good," — they are ad- 

 dressed therefore, especially to the tyro, and are intended to aid our 

 younger members, not the more accomplished microscopist ; they partake of 

 a more elementary character than if they were for the benefit of the 

 veterans. One of the first things which engages the attention of the 

 young microscopist (by whom I mean a person of any age who has just 

 procured a microscope), is the examination of the outside of various sub- 

 stances within convenient reach. Having satisfied his curiosity by a super, 

 ficial inspection of such easy things as bread, sugar, potatoes, &c, his next 

 desire is to see the inside of the many subjects which present themselves 

 to his notice, and for this purpose he desires to make sections of them. The 

 subject I have chosen for the demonstration of this evening is therefore 

 one likely to interest the young beginner, and few things are more instruc- 

 tive than an examination of such hard tissues as bone, teeth, or shell. 

 Those who had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Grove's demonstration last 

 session on soft sections, derived also the profit of seeing how these beauti- 

 ful sections are made and mounted, and although there is a great difference 

 in the care and delicacy required to produce good sections of the animal 

 tissues, yet the principles and practice laid down in that demonstration can 

 be acted upon in the production of many, if not all of the soft vegetable 

 tissues, and therefore any consideration of these may be omitted from my 

 demonstration this evening. I hope that my brief remarks and such mani- 

 pulation as I can lay before you in the time allotted to me may induce many 

 of my younger brother members to make sections of the hard tissues for 

 themselves. This subject has been very well treated of in most of the 

 Text books on Microscopic Technology, and for fuller information I may 

 refer you to "The Preparation and Mounting of Microscopic Objects," by 

 Thos. Davis, page 146, and "Microscopic Dictionary," article "Prepara- 

 tion," p. 632. The plan recommended by most of the authorities is as 

 follows : With a spring saw, such as I have here, saw as thin a section of 

 tho hard tissue as you can, polish one side of it and cementing that side to 

 a piece of glass, rub the other side on a hone till it is thin enough to see 

 the details of its inner structure well defined, dissolve it off the piece of 

 glass, and after well cleansing it from debris mount it permanently in 

 balsam. This plan uo doubt is a good one, and capable of producing very 



