166 



The Preparation of Microscope Slides 



Fig. 129. Removing section from knife. 



to the edge of the knife. A drop of water is placed on the surface of the 

 freezing table, the gas is turned on, and the specimen is pressed firmly 

 to the water while it is frozen in place. The finger is then removed and 

 the block watched until the line of frost on the side just reaches the top. 

 Cutting should start at once using a rather slow, even stroke. The correct 

 degree of freezing is vital to success but can only be learned by experience. 



Mounting and Staining Frozen Sections. Fairly thick frozen sections 

 can be handled with section lifters and passed through any of the stains 

 described in Chapter 3. Sections of fatty tissue are always handled in this 

 manner and should be stained by the method discussed in Chapter 7. 



If complex staining techniques are to be applied, however, it is better to 

 fix the section or sections to a slide. One of the best techniques involves 

 two solutions: 



Gravis's Adhesive: 



Water 100 ml 



Agar 0.1 g 



Camphor 0.1 g 



Dissolve the agar in boiling water. Filter and add the camphor to the 

 hot filtrate. 



