166 The MrcROscopE. 



section fi-om the lifter to the mounting or preparatory fluid on the 

 slide. 



The instrument is easily held between the thumb and finger, 

 and motions with it may be made of great delicacy, either with the 

 unaided eye, a watchmaker's loup or a preparing microscope. 



As horn normally contains grease as well as moisture, it will take 

 oily or gummy media, but must then be confined to use with them.* 



In preparing specimens the lifter is preferably inverted over 

 the slide when loaded with a section, whilst a drop of fluid, let fall 

 on the holes in the middle of the blade, loosens the tissue, from 

 which the instrument may then easily, and with gentleness, be with- 

 drawn. As the horn is transparent, every detail of the section on 

 its under-side can be seen. 



But the use of such a section-lifter naturally suggests some- 

 thing similarly facile instead of the needle, and this is to be found 

 in a stout bristle. 



It may be held in a clamping needle-holder, such as is now sold 

 for microscopical purposes, and when so mounted, or even simply 

 tied to a stick, will so far surpass the needle as a means of manipu- 

 lation, that no one who has ever tried it will cease its use. 



The simplicity of the means, as well as its previous employment 

 as a guide in illustrating anatomy, may ere this have given rise to 

 its use by microscopists for manipulating sections; but of any such 

 adaptation I ^m unaware. A similar remark can be made with 

 reference to the horn section-lifter. 



In conclusion, it may be said that in the mounting of thin sec- 

 tions .of over a quarter-inch in diameter, at least four of them can be 

 placed flat upon the slide with the bristle and horn -lifter in the 

 same time as that taken from one where metallic means are used. 

 As with glycerine preparations the time is chiefly spent in placing 

 the sections in position, the saving with this deservedly superior 

 medium is fully one-half. 



CRYSTALLIZATION BY COLD — A KINK IN MICRO- 

 CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY. 



FRANK L. JAMES, PH. C, M. D. 



TN MAKING- micro -chemical examinations it constantly happens 

 -*• that we wish to obtain the crystalline matter from some minute 

 quantity of fluid holding it in solution. When the liquid is com- 

 paratively abundant, or say in quantities of a half fluid drachm and 



*Lifters for water or glycerine must be made of burnt horn ; i.e. , depri(?ed mostly of fat. 



