THE MICROSCOPE. 43 



in the hair, such as oil, pomade, glycerin, etc., attract the numerous 

 minute germs, especially those of parasitic fungi, which abound in 

 the air; glycerine, however, is not so deleterious in this way as the 

 other substances named. Hence a very common source of baldness. 

 Building and funereal stones which had been soaked in oil in order 

 to protect inscriptions on them from the influence of the weather 

 were found to have been much attacked by minute fungi from the 

 very means used to protect them. — Ex. 



Carriage of Schizomvcetes through the Air. — C. v. Nageli 

 and H. Buchner have determined that bacteria and similar organisms 

 are not taken up into the air simply by evaporation of the fluids in 

 # which they live, nor are they detached from a solid substratum by 

 currents of dry air only. In order for the germs to be dispersed 

 through the air, they must be scattered by drops of water, and 

 are then taken up by currents of air. This view is of importance 

 in connection with the spread of malarial fevers. — Royal Mic. 

 Journal. 



Hunt's American Cement. — Mr. J. Ford has received from 

 an American correspondent the following recipe for making the 

 cement, so effectually used by professional mounters, and which has 

 been regarded as a trade secret: "Take some zinc white as sold 

 for painters' use. drain off the oil, and mix with' Canada balsam, 

 dissolved very thin with chloroform. If it does not flow freely from 

 the brush, add a little turpentine. The mixture should be about 

 the thickness of cream, and kept in a bottle with a glass cap." 

 Mr. F. J. Allen adds: "Having sealed the slide with the cement, 

 paint on it Avith artists' oil-colors, thinned if necessary, with turpen- 

 tine, and when dry varnish it with very dilute balsam to give it a 

 gloss."- — Journal Postal Mic. Society. 



Inoculation of Tuberculosis through Respiration. — In 

 order to ascertain whether the germs of tuberculosis, if present in 

 the air, can be inhaled by respiration, Giboux prepared two boxes, 

 in each of which he placed two young rabbits, and passed daily 

 through each of them 20,000-25,000 c.c. of air, which had been 

 exhaled by phthisical patients of .the second and third degree. 

 With one of the boxes the air was first filtered through a wad of 

 cotton-wool. After about three and a half months, the rabbits in 

 the unprotected box died, having suffered loss of appetite, thirst, 



