198 Eisen: Notes on fixation, stains, the alcohol method, etc. XIV, 2. 



3) The slide is removed to the working table, tlie superfluous 

 alcohol is poured off, and the sections arranged with brush and 

 pincers. Now eomes a most important point of the proceetling. I 

 nse two strips of smooth, thick blotting paper of the same size 

 as the slide. The under blotter is moistened with 80 per cent. al- 

 cohol , the upper one is kept dry. Both blotters are placed over 

 the slide , the moist one nearest the sections. A rlat metal rolling- 

 pin or cylinder is now passed with considerable force several times 

 over the blotters , causing the sections to be pressed firmly to the 

 slide , the blotter absorbing the superfluous moisture. For con- 

 venience sake I nse the steel „Abziehevorrichtung" which goes with 

 Walb's knives, and which seems just suited to this purpose. There 

 is no danger of ruining the sections, if moderate pressure is used. 

 The blotting paper should , of course , be thick and smooth , filter- 

 paper not being suitable. 



4) The sections are brushed off with a soft but large cameis 

 hair brush, such as is used in water color painting. 



5) The slide is now at once returned to the shelf of the 

 water bath, lipon which are now placed two or three sheets of black 

 cardboard in order to moderate the heat. In from ten minutes 

 to one hour the sections will be perfectly dry and may be further 

 manipulated with impunity , stained with aniline stains, iron-haemat- 

 oxylin, or in any other way , only they must not be treated with 

 strong alkalies. Südes may be left in the bath for honrs or 

 days, and if not used at once may be kept in slide-boxes for years 

 without deteriorating, to be subjected to xylol and stains at any 

 future time. 



This method has several advantages over the distilled water 

 method. It is rnuch quicker, the sections dry in a few minntes, and 

 the slides do not require to be chemically clean. Moderately clean 

 slides will do , and the alcohol will still rapidly wet the surface. 

 I consider this method snperior to any other for serial sections, 

 both animal and botanical of every kind. 



Stains. 



Brazilin. I believe that this stain is not as generally employed 

 as it deserves to be. The stain is a very good one, in many re- 

 spects superseding haematoxylin. It has an advantage in not over- 



