Making Sections 



151 



Fig. 114. Cutting the ribbon in lengths. 



and used immediately. If this procedure is desired, shake the ingredients 

 together until they are thoroughly mixed. Filter. Apply a thin smear of 

 this on a clean slide with the tip of the little finger. 



It will have been apparent to the worker from the moment he started 

 cutting the sections that they are not absolutely flat. They may be slightly 

 crinkled or slightly distorted and, therefore, must be flattened by being 

 warmed on water heated just below the melting point of the wax. Some 

 people place this water on the slide and then add the sections to it, but 

 the author prefers to lay the ribbons on the slide as shown in Fig. 115. 

 This is not nearly so easy as it looks. The tips of two brushes should be 

 moistened with the tongue just enough to bring the hairs to a point. Then 

 the two moist points are delicately touched (too much pressure will 

 cause the ribbon to adhere to the paper ) to each end of the selected piece 

 of section. This piece is lifted as shown in the illustration and placed on 

 the slide. When a sufficient number of pieces of ribbon have been accumu- 

 lated, the slide is picked up carefully, reversed, and laid on top of the 

 last three fingers of the left hand exactly as shown in Fig. 116. It is fatal 

 to grasp the slide by the sides; if this is done when the water is flooded 

 on from the pipette, the meniscus coming to the edge of the slides will 



