Journal of Applied Microscopy. 285 



St. Louis Microscopical Society, Meeting, Feb. H. — Dr. Alt opened the 

 scientific programme with a demonstration of blanched specimens from pig- 

 mented excrescences on iris of horse. They are common on the posterior sur- 

 face, and consist to a considerable extent of connectiv'e tissue containing blood 

 vessels and double rows of columnar epithelial cells from the pigmented areas 

 of the iris. The specimens had been bleached in a solution of chloride of cal- 

 cium containing hydrochloric acid. They had been stained with haematoxylin. 

 Dr. Alt recommended the use of xylol balsam in mounting, but made use of clove 

 oil for clearing purposes. 



Dr. Bremer stated in the discussion that these growths might have a vestig- 

 ual character. On December 22, 1898, the society met and listened to a paper 

 by Dr. Ross on " The Rare Forms for Tubal Disease." Certain papillomatous 

 growths invading contiguous tissues were not regarded by him as malignant. 



Picro-anilin-blue is used for lymphatic glandular tissue and for nervous tissues. 

 Five cc. of the saturated aqueous solution of anilin blue are added to 100 cc. of 

 a saturated aqueous solution of picric acid. Let the tissue remain but a few 

 minutes in the combined solution. It is often better to use the solutions sepa- 

 rately. Allow the tissue to remain in the blue solution until it assumes a pale 

 sky-blue color ; then immerse it in the picric solution for ten or fifteen minutes. 

 The nuclei will have been stained a bright green and the surrounding tissue a 

 pale pea-green. Like results are obtained in both fresh and " fixed " tissues. 

 If the sections are to be mounted in balsam the picric stain is apt to be dissolved 

 out by the alcohol during the process of dehydration. This can be overcome 

 by dehydrating in alcohol in which picric acid has been dissolved. If the sepa- 

 rate solutions have been used the tissue may be carried direct from the blue stain 

 to a one-half per cent, alcoholic solution of picric acid, thus shortening the process. 



The twenty-second annual meeting of the American .Microscopical Society 

 will be held at Columbus, Ohio, at about the time of the meeting of the A. A. A. S. 

 The precise dates have not yet been fixed, but will be such as to permit those 

 attending the meeting of the American Microscopical Society to take advantage 

 of the reduced railroad rates which have been arranged for by the executive 

 committee of the Society in connection with the reduced rates granted to the 

 A. A. A. S. In selecting the city of Columbus as its meeting place, the Society 

 accepts the invitation of the city of Columbus and the State University of Ohio, 

 transmitted by the vice-president, Dr. A. M. Bleile. There is every indication 

 of a very successful meeting, as the secretary has already received titles of 

 numerous valuable papers to be presented and discussed. Reduced railroad rates 

 are a certainty, and the interesting programmes of the A. A. A. S., and many 

 affiliated societies whose meetings will extend over a period of two weeks, will be 

 no small inducement to visit Columbus, which is in itself an extremely interest- 

 ing city. 



