263 



afterwards it would be found to cut like a piece of cheese. The sections should 

 be placed in water for at least 48 hours to* clear them from the acid. Chromic 

 acid was certainly the best medium to use for nerve fibres, for though alcohol 

 and other things did pretty well, they did not show the axis sheath so well as 

 chromic acid. For staining, they used picro-carminate of ammonia (four grains 

 of carmine to 100 parts of saturated solution of picric acid). Special care 

 must be taken that this is not used alkaline. Glycerine was almost universally 

 used for mounting in France; a little melted paraffin was run round the edge 

 of the covering-glass, and a solution of sealing-wax painted over it. As to 

 section catting machines, he did not know who was really the inventor of the 

 one before them, for they had it under many names ; the wedge machine was 

 also to be found in Paris. He was himself the inventor of one which he believed 

 to be superior to all others ; and it was valuable alike for hard or for soft sub- 

 stances. It would cut a section of a tooth in three minutes, and then on the 

 soft side any sort of material could be cut, even although it might not be 

 homogeneous. His machine was in use in Edinburgh, and it was exclusively 

 used at the College of France. Section cutting in future would have to be done 

 in the opposite way to the plan now adopted, and a number of small cuts must 

 take the place of a single sweep. He had omitted to mention another sub- 

 stance which was used in France for staining, namely, picro-carminate of 

 indigo; it gave a green colour, and was found to answer well for cells and fibrous 

 tissues. These were some of the latest ideas on the subject from the Continent, 

 and he hoped they might be of interest. 



Mr. C. S. Eolfe said he had brought to the meeting a machine almost like the 

 " Science Gossip" machine, but with the wedge propelled by a screw, instead 

 of by a blow ; this brought it more under control. He had first used it witha 

 brass plate, but had since added a glass plate, and found it to be an improvement. 

 The President expressed his thanks to Dr. Hoggan for the information which 

 he had communicated, and hoped that he would be able, at some future time, to 

 show his machine to the members of the Club at one of their meetings. Carrot 

 and pith had been used for some time in cutting sections of vegetable tissues. 



Dr. Hoggan said he should be most happy to bring his machine for the in- 

 spection of the meaibers at the next meeting. 



Announcements of meetings, &c,, for the ensuing mouth having been made, 

 the proceedings terminated by a conversazio)ie, at which the following objects 

 were exhibited : — 



A Section Cutting Machine ... , By Mr. Bailey. 



Ultimate Fibres of Crystalline Lens Mr. T. J. Baker. 



New Diatoms from South Seas Mr. Curties. 



T'leurosigma formosum ... ... Mr. Goodinge. 



Hydra Vulgaris (alive) Mr. Hainworth. 



Larva of Gnat ... ... ... ... ... ,, ,, 



Section of Hazel Nut Mr. F. Eeeve. 



Section of Human Brain (cut through cere- j 

 bellum) ... ... ... ... ... r 



Ruby Copper Mr. Topping. 



Transverse Section of Hair of Elephant ... Mr. Underwood. 



Agalasphceria Pluma ,, „ 



Parasite of Opossum ... Mr. Watkins. 



Inj(}cted Section of Kidney of Guinea Pig ... Mr. T. C. White. 



Eye of Dytiscus Mr. G. Williams. 



Attendance— Members, 102 ; Visitors, 23.— Total, 125. 



Mr. Slade. 



