110 THE MICROSCOPE. July, 



grain, then raising the heat and checking further growth. The 

 ground malted grain, if kept in water at a temperature of about 

 154° F. for two weeks, will become converted into dextrine and 

 sugar, and be dissolved out, leaving only the cuticles of the grain. 

 This action is the result of the diastase developed by the germ- 

 ination of the grain. 



Wheat contains 64 pev cent of starch, corn 65 per cent,, rice 

 76 per cent, and potato 15-29 per cent — S. G. Shanks. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Dr. R. H. Ward, Troy, N. Y., writes regarding query No. 

 228:— 



Reed, Siebert, Alserstrasse 19, Vienna, Austria, makes sup- 

 plies and magnets, but probably no microscopes. 



W. & H. Seibert, Wetzlar, Germany, makes microscopes. 

 Catalogues (probably in German) could be obtained from them 

 by mail. 



Purifying Alcohol. — In histological work, especially anima| 

 one must make use of more or less alcohol, — absolute, ordinary 

 or commercial and wood spirit. I use all three at times and 

 for various purposes, and as a result have quantities of mixed 

 alcohols vitiated or degraded by water, oils, resins, fats and other 

 organic elements met wdth in this class of work. Now the 

 question is how to recover the alcohol from this otherwise waste 

 product. Lime disposes of some of the water, distillation of wa- 

 ter and as a residue the heavier oils and iats but the first is only 

 a partial success, while in addition the distillation process is 

 expensive. Is there any "royal road" any "cross lots" method 

 by which may be made certain the recovery of this necessary 

 but expensive article? The conditions are that the means all be 

 simple, effective, easy of accomplishment, inexpensive ; the 

 result, a comparatively pure product. — X 



The Superiority of Direct Illumination. — We are in- 

 formed that the one seventy-fifth inch of Tolles used with the 

 direct light of a common one-cent spermaceti candle gave a 

 good field and brought out details of human blood dry. Con- 

 denser used — a B eye-piece in sub-stage. The same, with re- 



