THE MICROSCOPE. 43 
the sections do not require to be freed from the mass before mount- 
ing as the coagulated egg clears perfectly in oil of clove. The mass 
holds together all parts of the section in the most perfect manner.— 
Science Record. 
Rapip METHOD oF DEMONSTRATING THE ‘TUBERCLE 
BACILLUS WITHOUT THE USE OF Nitric Acip.—The following 
method, which Dr. H. Gibbes has used for some time with great 
success, will, he thinks, prove useful to those requiring the demon- 
stration of the tubercle bacillus for diagnostic purposes in a rapid 
manner. The great advantage consists in doing away with the use 
of nitric acid. 
The stain is made as follows:—Take of rosanilin hydrochloride 
two grammes, methyl-blue one gramme; rub them up in a glass 
mortar. Then dissolve anilin oil 3 c.c. in rectified spirit 15 C.c.; 
add the spirit slowly to the stains until all is dissolved, then slowly 
add distilled water 15 c.c.; keep in a stoppered bottle. 
To use the stain:—The sputum having been dried on the cover- 
glass in the usual manner, a few drops of the stain are poured into 
a test-tube and warmed; as soon as steam rises pour into a watch- 
glass, and place the cover-glass on the stain. Allow it to remain 
four or five minutes, then wash in methylated spirit until no 
more color comes away; drain thoroughly and dry, either in the 
air or over a spirit-lamp. Mount in Canada balsam. The whole 
process, after the sputum is dried, need not take more than six 
or seven minutes. This process is also valuable for sections of 
tissue containing bacilli, as they can be doubly stained without 
the least trouble. Dr. Gibbes has not tried to do this against 
time, but has merely placed the sections in the stain and 
allowed them to remain for some hours, and then transferred 
them to methylated spirit, where they have been left as long as the 
color came out. In this way beautiful specimens have been 
made, without the shrinking which always occurs in the nitric acid 
process. 
Dr. Gibbes subsequently adds:—‘“This process gives the most 
satisfactory results, and the horrible nuisance of the nitric acid 
is avoided. It brings out the bacilli quite as well as the other 
process, and it stains all putrefactive bacteria and micrococci 
very deeply, so that in the field of the microscope blue micrococci 
and bacteria may be compared with the red bacilli of tubercle. The 
stain can be used cold equally well. The cover-glass in that case 
must be left in the stain for at least half an hour.”—Royal Micro- 
scopical Journal. 
