THE MIcROSCcOPE. 151 
The carmine, in small fragments, is placed in a test tube 
and the ammonia added to it. By agitation and by the aid of 
the heat of a spirit lamp, the carmine is soon dissolved. The 
ammoniacal solution is boiled for a few seconds, and then 
allowed to cool. After the lapse of an hour, much of the excess 
of ammonia will have escaped. The glycerine and water may 
then be added and the whole passed through a filter or allowed 
to stand for some time and the perfectly clear supernatant fluid 
poured off and kept for use. 
BORAX CARMINE. 
Place a dram of the best carmine in a mortar and add to it 
two drams of a strong solution of ammonia. Let it stand for 
twenty-four hours. Take four ounces of a saturated solution of 
borax in distilled water and rub down the carmine and ammonia 
with it. Filter and keep in stoppered bottles. 
All carmine stained specimens are improved by removing 
the excess of staining with water and adding a one per cent. 
solution of acetic acid. The acid takes out the superfluous 
staining, fixes it in the nuclei and brightens the whole coloring. 
In place of the solution of acetic acid in water, a fixing solution 
of one part of hydrochloric acid in five parts of alcohol may be 
employed. The sections should be closely watched or all the 
color might be removed. They are then placed in common 
methylated spirits until required for mounting. 
WOODWARD’S VIOLET CARMINE. 
This is a very pleasant mixture to work with and is pre 
pared as follows: 
Best carmine, - - - - - = = dS grains. 
Borax, = 58> Ss (= 6 = +) =e indiram: 
Water,- - - - - - - = - - 52 ounces. 
Alcohol, "(85 p.c:), =:.- - = =) Mounces: 
Mix and filter. The filtrate should be thrown away. On 
the filter will remain the crystals. The filter paper with the 
crystals is placed in a mortar and thoroughly mixed with eight 
ounces of water. This solution is filtered, and the filtrate evap- 
orated to four ounces when it is ready for use. After the sec- 
tion is stained a lilac color, taking from thirty seconds to. one 
minute, it is placed in a fixing solution composed of 
