3 ( J8 SUMMARY OE CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



tube is a female screw into which is screwed the third piece (fig. 102 C), 

 a conical block with a milled head at its lower end for screwing it up 

 and down. In the piece B the screw D (fig. 102) works and serves as 

 a lever for pushing out the object-carrier, for fixing the piece B, and for 

 preventing the clamp rising above the level of the cutting-plate. 



The manipulation of the apparatus is very simple. The object, in- 

 serted in elder pith, is placed within the jaws of the clamp after the 

 object-carrier has been pushed up. The clamp is then tightened, and 

 the carrier withdrawn until it comes in contact with the micrometer 

 screw. 



Modification of the Rutherford Microtome.* — Dr. D. F. Harris has 

 devised a modification of the Rutherford microtome which differs from 

 the primitive form in the following particulars. (1) The size of the 

 freezing-box is considerably increased. (2) The gum-well is placed 

 centrally in the elliptical ice-box. (3) Less of the well projects above 

 the surface of the ice-box. (4) The upper surface of the platform which 

 raises the frozen tissue is of brass, deeply corrugated. (5) The circular 

 glass plate is replaced by a pair of rails which are covered by strips of 

 glass having a convex surface. 



(4) Staining: and Injecting-. 



Staining Sections while Imbedded in Paraffin.f — Mr. S. Smith 

 describes the following method for staining sections which have been 

 imbedded in paraffin and cut with the rocking microtome in the ordinary 

 way. The ribands are placed in the staining solution in a flat covered 

 vessel, which is left in a warm place until the sections became perfectly 

 flat. The vessel is then removed to a cool place for 12-24 hours, and 

 then the staining solution poured off slowly so as to leave the ribands 

 lying flat on the bottom of the dish. Water is then poured in to re- 

 float, and also wash the sections. This done, the sections are placed 

 on slides, allowed to dry, passed through turpentine or xylol, and 

 mounted in balsam. 



Fixing and Staining Blood Films.} — Mr. R. Muir describes two 

 methods for fixing and staining blood films. 



(1) Dry method. The film having been dried in air, is fixed in a 

 solution composed of 20 per cent, aqueous tannin solution, 2 parts; 

 saturated aqueous solution of sublimate, 2 parts ; saturated aqueous 

 solution of potash alum, 5 parts. The fixative is filtered on to the film, 

 and after 2-4 minutes the preparation is washed successively in water, 

 methylated spirit, and again in water. It is now stained for 2-4 minutes 

 with 2 per cent, aqueous solution of eosin, or for 15 minutes or more 

 if to show the eosinophil ous reaction. The film is again washed and 

 then carefully dried over the flame in order to fix the eosin in the cells. 

 When dried, it is dipped in water, and some saturated aqueous solution 

 of methylen-blue filtered on. To this staining solution it is advisable to 

 add saturated caustic potash solution in the proportion of one drop to 

 the ounce. After about 2 minutes, the stain is washed off and the pre- 



* Journ. Anat. Physiol., 'xxxiii. (1899) pp. 609-11. 



t Op. cit., xxxiv. (1899) pp. 151-2. 



% Journ. Pathol, and Bacterid., vi. (1900) pp. 394-6. 



