317 



Note on a New Hand Microtome. 



This instrument, designed by Dr. Adriano Fieri, and made for 

 him by Koristka of Milan, possesses one or two advantages over 

 the ordinary simple pattern — advantages which we consider de- 

 serving of somewhat extended notice. For the enumeration of 

 these advantages and details of construction we are indebted to 

 a pamphlet by the inventor entitled "Nuovo microtomo a mano 

 con morsetta tubulare," * in which he describes the instrument at 

 some length. 



The following is an abridged translation : — 



Hand microtomes are employed with advantage, especially for 

 the study of the histology of plants in which a great amount 

 of the material sectioned does not require embedding. In the 

 first place they are cheap, and well within the reach of the 

 student ; secondly, it is possible to give to the knife a cutting 

 motion in contradistinction to the planing motion common to all 

 but the largest and best of the purely mechanical section-cutting 

 machines. 



Hand microtomes consist essentially of two parts: (1) the 

 guide for the knife ; (2) the holder carrying the material to be 

 sectioned and the micrometer screw by which this material is 

 raised after each stroke of the knife. The former of these can be 

 disregarded, as practically all patterns agree in this particular, 

 the difference of the material for the top plate, whether brass or 

 glass, being merely a question of detail. The latter, however, 

 admits of more variation, and it is in this part that the instrument 

 we are now describing differs from those that have gone before. 



In the simplest models the material to be cut is wedged into 

 the cylinder by pith or cork, the micrometer screw acting on the 

 mass thus wedged together, and pushing the whole up through 



* Extract from " Malpighia," vol. 13, 1899. The Club is indebted to 



Mr. K. Eram for translating Dr. Fiori's paper, and to Mr, C. L. Ciirties for 



revising the mechanical details. It is understood that the cost of the 



microtome, including carriage, would be about 25s. — Ed. Journal Q. M. C. 



JouRN. Q. M. C, Series II.— No. 46. 23 



