Journal of Applied Microscopy. 



33 



A Quick Method of Preparing Sections 

 of Tissue for Class Use: 



It is often desirable to prepare sec- 

 tions of 'the softer tissue in a very short 

 time. To anyone familiar with the collo- 

 dion method, the following suggestions 

 will be helpful: Place the tissue at night 

 in forty per cent, alcohol, in the dehy- 

 drating apparatus. Remove it at 7:30 the 

 next morning. Leave until 10 o'clock in 

 two per cent, collodion. Then place In 

 five per cent, collodion until 11:45. Ar- 

 range on the cork and place in eighty 

 per cent, alcohol. The material will be 

 ready to section by 1:30, when it can be 

 distribu'ted to the class; a total of 

 eighteen to nineteen hours covering the 

 whole operation. 



Mason B. Thomas. 



Wabash College, Jan. 3, 189S. 



APPARATUS. 



[Translation from Central -Blatt f. Bacteriologie. 

 Band x.xli., p. 340.] 



A Simple Steam Sterilizer. 



From the Hygienic Laboratory of the University of 

 Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. 



Dr. F. G. Now. 



In laboratories where a large number 

 of students are working at the same 

 time, it is often difficult to provide 

 enough sterilizing apparatus. The 

 apparatus shown in the accompanying 

 figure is such that it can he procured 

 at a very low cost. It can be assigned to 

 either one or two students. It has been 

 in use in this laboratory for several 

 years and has practically supplanted the 

 large Koch sterilizers. The lower part 

 of the apparatus consists of an ordinary 

 Hoffmann's iron water bath, eighteen to 

 twenty centimeters in diameter. The 

 upper part consists of a copper pail 

 twenty centimeters high and twenty 

 centimeters in diameter, with perforated 

 bottom. Two copper rings are soldered 

 to the interior, one being about four 

 centimeters above the bottom and the 

 other about twelve centimeters. These 

 rings are about one and one-half centi- 

 meters wide, and are plentifully perfor- 

 ated to permit passage of steam and 

 condensed water. The rings prevent the 

 culture tubes from touching the sides of 

 the pail, as otherwise the cotton plugs 

 would become saturated with the con- 

 densed steam. The pail is filled with 

 tubes or flasks and placed over the 

 water-bath, in which the water should 

 be boiling. In from five to seven minutes 

 steam will actively issue from the tube 

 in the cover, showing that the interior 

 temperature has reached lOO'O. With this 



apparatus the student can attend to any 

 needed steam sterilization at his own 

 table, and thus save much time and 

 obviate much unpleasant waiting. The 

 general usefulness of the apparatus, its 

 compactness, cheapness, and the saving 

 in gas will commend it to those practi- 

 tioners who desire to equip a small 

 laboratory. 

 July 2.5, 1897. 



A Convenient Water Bath. 



The accompanying illustration shows 

 a convenient water-bath recently made 

 for the laboratory of the St. Lawrence 

 State Hospital. It was designed with 

 the view of economizing both space and 



heat, both of which as a rule are import- 

 ant considerations in laboratories, the 

 latter particularly in those where gas 

 is not to be had. The bath is fifteen 



