14 THE MICROSCOPj:. Jan. 



^A^hy Should the Pharmacist Know How to Use the 

 Microscope. — Not to examine the menagerie of a drop of 

 water or the " dust " from a butterfly's wing. Not for play or 

 display. But for serious, matter-of-fact, practical every-day 

 work. He needs it for microscopical examinations of drugs, 

 powders, crystals, urinary sediments; for the detection of impu- 

 rities; for the identification of bacteria; and for other purposes 

 connected with the duties of the educated pharmacist of the 

 immediate future. 



But the uneducated druggist does not need a microscope, for 

 he cannot use it. To learn how to use it intelligently and 

 safel}^, demands considerable knowledge anrl practice under 

 such training as is possible onl} with experienced teachers 

 who have proper laboratory facilities at their disposal. 



Even the well trained pharmaceutical chemist could not do 

 such microsco{)ical work as we have referred to, without facili- 

 ties such as cannot be found in one retail drug store out of a 

 hundred. On the other hand, if he h;ive the requisite training 

 and the necessary facilities he will find an abundance of work 

 to be done. — Bulletin of Pharmacy. 



Permanent Mounts for Saccharomyces.— A correspon- 

 den t writes to know if there is a method of making permanent 

 mounts of yeast and similar ferments. The following is a pro- 

 cess that we have employed for several years with excellent, 

 results, but we do not remember to whom we are indebted for it. 

 Place the ferment on the cover-glass, and carry through a flame 

 exactly as in preparing bacillus tuberculosis, etc., or if you have 

 plenty of time you may let it dry spontaneously. The stain is 

 an alcoholic solution of ha3inatoxylin prepared as follows : Dis- 

 solve 42 grains of hgematoxylyn in 2 drams of absolute alcohol, 

 and add 10 drops of a 3 per cent aqueous solution of alum. 

 Shake well and put in a light, warm place, and leave for three 

 or four days. Filter and preserve in a glass stoppered vial. In 

 this fluid float the cover glass, prepared side downward, for fif- 

 teen minutes. Wash, dry carefully, and mount in xylol balsam 

 or dammar. Such mounts keep indefinitely. We have some 

 several years old that are as good as when fresh. — Nat. Druggist. 



Staining Fresh Tubercular Sputum. — According to Kant- 

 back and Dr3^stale, says the Pharmaceuiical Journal, a thin layer 



