309 



Mr. Golding inquired if he riglitly understood from Dr. Hoggan's description 

 that the machine could in no way be simplified, and that nothing could be taken 

 away from it without impairing its efficiency ? 



Dr. Hoggan said that it was for cutting hard sections that his machine was 

 of the greatest use. Supposing, for instance, that a person brought to him, 

 say the tooth of a fish, and wanted a section cut, it could be taken and several 

 made from it in four or five minutes ; but it would take four or five hours to 

 prepare one in the usual way, besides which, if they could be obtained so easily 

 it would not be necessary to take such pains in preserving them. The gentleman 

 who had first spoken appeared to have lost the point of his remarks throughout, 

 for he disputed points which he himself had never raised, and the suggestions 

 which he added were just wbat he (Dr. Hoggan) had already mentioned. For 

 small sections of some organic preparations, he had said in his paper that the 

 best way was to cut them by baud, and teaze out the tissue with needles. As 

 to the freezing, no doubt somebody would one day add a salt box to the machine, 

 and then call it after his own name. A knife for section cutting should be flat 

 either on one side or the other, and he never thought of denying the truth of 

 what had been said about knives. All that the gentleman had said against 

 caustic soda was exactly what was stated in his paper ; it did very well in some 

 cases, but certainly not in all. He did not know if the price of the machine 

 was more than that of the latest forms of the old kinds. 



Mr. T. C. White said he had come in late, and therefore had not heard the 

 whole of Dr. Hoggan's paper ; but he had brought with him a few sections of 

 hard tissues, such as cocoa-nut palm, which had been cut by Mr. Williams with 

 a modification of the oi dinary lapidary's wheel. He could also cut quartz and 

 sections of coal. He could quite imagine that it was often of very great im- 

 portance to be able to cut hard sections so quickly. From what he could see, he 

 should chiefly object to the machine on account of its complication, for he 

 believed that the secret of success was not so much in the apparatus as in the 

 section- cutter himself. He should like to ask Dr. Hoggan if he found that in 

 cutting with a saw ridges were not left on the surface of the section, and also if 

 he hardened the substances specially before cutting them ? 



Dr. Hoggan said that in the case of a number of tissues he found it best to 

 harden them, but for one half of those which he exhibited there was no harden- 

 ing whatever, except what took place in the alcohol, and some were cut with- 

 out any preparation whatever— the section of kidney was cut the day after it 

 was obtained, and without previous hardening. 



Mr. White thought this a great advantage, because sections cut after 

 hardening were apt to be spoilt by the knife, and many substances were much 

 altered by any hardening process. 



Mr. Hainworth reminded Dr. Hoggan that he had not answered the question 

 as to the tooth marks left by the saw. 



Dr. Hoggan said that if the saw were rather coarse, or if its I'ough edges 

 were not taken ofi'by rubbing the sides on a bone, marks would sometimes be 

 left, but this would not be so if the edges were taken off. 



Dr. Foulerton remarked that a good deal had been said as to the way in 

 which hardening could be efi'ected, but he had understood that this machine 

 was to do away with the necessity for it, and bethought that if the machinist 

 took this upon himself, the section cutter surely need not complain. 



The President expressed the interest with which he had listened to Dr. 

 Hoggan's paper, and hoped the Club might one day be favoured with another 



