1476 Journal of Applied Microscopy 



MEDICAL NOTES. 



Gram's Method for Staining Diphtheria Bacilli. — Allow the fixed 

 specimens to remain for 20 to SO minutes in an anilin-water solution of gentian 

 violet, prepared in the following manner : 



To 100 c. c. of distilled water add, drop by drop, anilin oil until the mixture 

 is opaque. Shake well after each addition of anilin oil. Filter through moist- 

 ened filter paper until perfectl}' clear. To 100 c. c. of the filtrate add 10 c. c. 

 of absolute alcohol and 11 c. c. of concentrated alcoholic solution of gentian 

 violet. 



After remaining the required time in this mixture the specimens are placed 

 for about five minutes in the following iodin solution : 



lodin, 1 gm. 



Potassium iodide, 2 grns. 



Distilled water, 300 c. c. 



This solution should be allowed to act until the specimens are black, after 

 which they are thoroughly washed in alcohol, which removes the black color, 

 causing the specimens to appear pale grey. 



Dry and mount in balsam, or contrast stain with carmin or Bismark brown. 



c. w. J. 



Piorhowska. The Staining of Diphtlieria Or- A method is given by which the author 



ganisms. Berliner klin. Wochens., Mar. 4, , ,. ., ^^ ■, , .^ a^^^ o«- t-^ 



^ . t. believes it possible to demonstrate 



positively the existence of these organ- 

 isms by staining. Make dry cover-glass preparations from a culture of bacilli 

 grown on either glycerin-agar, or Loeffler's blood serum, at a temperature of 

 37.7 °C. for 15 to 20 hours. Stain for 20 to 30 seconds with methyl-blue. Decol- 

 orize in 3 per cent, solution of HCl-alcohol for 5 seconds. Counterstain in 1 per 

 cent, aqueous solution of eosin for 5 seconds. Polar nuclei stain deeply, and 

 the central portion takes a marked red color. c. w. j. 



Boston, L. NapoleoB. How to preserve as per- Partially fill a bottle with urine, cork 

 manent specimens casts found in urine. . , , , „ii^„, *.„ ^f„,,j ;., „ ^^^1 



Rep. N. Y Med. Jour., Nov. 4, 1899. lightly, and allow to stand m a cool 



place until a precipitate collects at the 

 bottom of the liquid. Decant the supernatant urine, add an equal quantity of 

 distilled water to the precipitate, and allow it to stand until it collects again at 

 the bottom of the liquid. With a pipette place a small drop of the thickest of 

 the sediment on the center of a slide and examine under low power. If casts 

 are present, evaporate the mount nearly to dryness and add by means of a glass 

 rod to the center of the drop of urine a drop of the following mixture : 



Liquor acidi arseniosi (U. S. P.), one fluid ounce. 



Salicylic acid, half a grain. 



Glycerin, two fluid drachms. 

 Dissolve by heat and add acacia (whole tears), and again warm until the 

 solution is saturated ; after subsidence, decant clear supernatant liquid, and 

 add a drop of 40 per cent, formalin if desired. 



In order to get an equal distribution of casts throughout the field, it is 

 necessary to draw a fine needle from the outer margin of the urine to the center 

 of the medium until the two substances show no tendency to separate. A 

 cover-glass is moistened by the breath and then allowed to fall gently on the 

 specimen. Cool the slide for a few hours in order to harden the mount com- 

 pletely. Specimens thus prepared may be kept indefinitely without deteri- 

 oration, c. w. J. 



