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Note on a New Description of Forceps for Holding 



Cover Glasses. 



By T. J. Davis. 



{Read June 21st, 1901.) 



From experience with the various kinds of forceps for holding 

 cover glasses whilst staining and decolorising in bacteriological 

 work, I have come to the conclusion that for several reasons none 

 of these are altogether satisfactory. 



Taking the " Cornet " forceps, for instance, these are out of all 

 proportion to the fragile glasses, inasmuch as the metal may, and 

 does, receive too great an amount of heat, which is transmitted 

 to the cover glass ; again, when the Carbol stain is applied, 

 capillary attraction takes place, and this causes the stain to run 

 on to the underside of the cover glass and drop off, which is 

 highly objectionable. 



Other forceps of a lighter construction as sold by opticians are 

 also objectionable, inasmuch as they need to have compression 

 maintained during the whole process of manipulation, and this 

 is most tiring to the finger and thumb owing to the length of 

 time this may take ; again, the swan-bill points set up a capillary 

 attraction as in the former case ; and finally, these forceps being 

 made of steel, the acid used in decolorising rapidly eats away the 

 metal, and quickly renders them worthless. 



Owing to the above experience, I have made what I consider 

 a better instrument, and respectfully submit the same to the 

 members of the Club. It will be seen from the accompanying 

 illustrations, that when A and B are compressed, C and D open to 

 receive the cover glass, which is then held in position by slight 

 pressure on four points of C and D. The staining, decolorising 

 and double staining is carried through while the cover glass is in 

 this position, and when completed A and B are again compressed, 

 and the cover glass drops out on to blotting paper, which soaks 

 up the superfluous liquid. 



