570 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



New Dissecting Stand. * — The " University " Dissecting Stand 

 (fig. 106) by W. Watson and Sons, Ltd., is mounted on a heavy square- 

 shaped metal ];)ase, and is fitted with ]>all-and-socket joints of extra large 

 size fitted with clamps, so that they can always be adjusted to any desired 



Fig. 106. 



tightness. The length of the projecting arm is such as to make it suit 

 aljle for use with large troughs. The magnifier is inserted in the ring: 

 provided for the purpose. 



& 



(41 Staining: and Injecting-. 



Fat-staining with Capsicum-red. f — K. Okajima makes use of 

 capsicum-red which lias been extracted from fresh capsicum berries. 

 The material to be stained is fixed with formalin or potassium bichromate. 

 Sections are cut by means of the freezing microtome, and are placed in 

 the staining solution for 5 minutes or more. Alcohol (80 p.c), water, 

 and glycerin are successively applied, and haematoxylin may be used as 

 counterstain. Capsicum-red staining solutions, if kept in the dark, may 

 retain their usefulness for seven months or more. 



Rapid Maturation of HsBmatoxylin Solutions.! — By the use of 



hydrogen peroxide, C. Piazza has prepared hfematoxylin solutions, which 

 rapidly acquire the staining properties characteristic of mixtures which 

 have been allowed to stand for a considerable period after preparation. 

 A fresh hsematoxylin mixture, upon the addition of hydrogen peroxide, 

 loses its transparency and rose colour, darkens and becomes semi-opaque. 

 This means of producing rapid maturation is of great convenience for 

 microscopical purposes. The author sets down two or three formulae 

 for staining mixtures. The following is that of Boehmer : — 



A. — Crystalline hgematoxylin . 1 grm. 



Alcohol (95 p.c.) . . 10 c.cm. 



B. — Alum . . . .20 grm. 



Distilled water . . 200 c.cm. 



* Watson and Sons' Catalogue, 1912-13, p. 72. 

 t Zeitschr. wiss. Mikrosk., xxix. (1912) pp. 67-9. 

 X Zeitschr. wiss. Mikrosk., xxix. (1912) pp. 69-71. 



