70 



THE ART OF MAKING MICROSCOPE SLIDES 



Smearing 



directly onto the slide, or (as in Fig. 27) behind the first slide and distributed more 

 removed from the puncture wound with a or less uniformly on the under shde. A few 

 pipet and transferred to the slide. The people still try to conduct the operation 

 drop is placed about }'i of an inch from in the reverse manner: by placing the sec- 

 one end of the slide, and a second shde (as ond slide on top of the first, sloping it at a 



Fig. 27. Making a smear preparation, a. Place the drop about an inch from the end of the 



slide. 



Fig. 28. Maicing a smear preparation — (continued), b. Apply a second slide just in front of 



the drop. 

 Fig. 29. Making a smear preparation — (continued), c. Push the slide smoothly forward to 



spread the smear. 



shown in Fig. 28) placed on the drop. 

 Capillary attraction will naturally dis- 

 tribute the fluid along the edge of the sec- 

 ond slide which is then (Fig. 29) pushed 

 sharply forward until it reaches the end 

 of the bottom slide. The material of which 

 the smear is being made is thus spread out 



reverse angle to that shown, and then en- 

 deavoring to push rather than drag the 

 material across the lower shde. The objec- 

 tion to this is that it results in crushing 

 cells, though it must be admitted that it 

 frequently gives a more uniform distribu- 

 tion of the material. The use of a glass shde 



