1896 THE MICROSCOPE. 157 



writing" paper is then coated with albolene (liquid vase- 

 line), and the oily slide laid directly down on the section. 

 With the ball of the thumb or fing-er firm pressure is made 

 on the paper over the section; upon removing the paper 

 the section will be found perfectly flat and firmly adherent 

 to the slide. The slide is gently heated over a flame until 

 the paraffin melts, and then it is placed in a jar of benzine 

 or xylol to dissolve off the paraffin, when, after treatment 

 with 95 per cent, alcohol, it is ready to be stained in any 

 way desired. The albumin is forced away from the im- 

 mediate neig-hborhood of the section by the combined ac- 

 tion of the pressure and melting- of the paraffin. The 

 pressure should be made directly down on the section, and 

 may be exerted to any degree without injury to the most 

 delicate section, if the thumb is not allows to slip or twist. 

 Care must be taken not to rub the paper as it lies upon the 

 section, for in this way the section is often made to stick 

 to the paper. 



It will be seen that this method is very rapid as well as 

 very simple ; its results are all that can be desired in rou- 

 tine work, and it can be very readily grasped by the lab- 

 oratory student.— Med. News. 



Microtomes. — The attention of the Biological section of 

 the British Association was drawn to the construction of 

 microtomes by a communication from Prof. C. S. Minot, of 

 the Havard Medical School, Cambridge, Mass. In recent 

 years there has been a growing and justified demand for 

 microtomes to make g^ood sections of g-reat thinness, if 

 possible, not over one five-hundredth of a millimetre or 2 

 microns (0'002mm.) In the automatic microtome, worked 

 by a revolving- wheel, devised by Prof. Minot, which was 

 now made in England, Germany, and France, as well as in 

 America, the attempt is made to secure mechanical perfec- 

 tion, and so far successfully, that sections of l-300mm. may 

 be made with it. This microtome is, however, adapted 

 only to cutting- objects imbedded in paraffin. — Eng-. Me- 

 chanic. 



Tobacco and Cholera.— A recently published report of 



