The Microscope. 57 



ELEMENTARY DEPARTMENT. 



A COUKSE IN ANIMAL HISTOLOGY. 



BY FRANK W. BROWN, M. D. 



FIRST PAPER. 



{Concluded.) 



TNSTRUMENTS AND REAGENTS.— Although the reader will 

 -*- be supplied with many of the necessary articles used in 

 histological work, it may be convenient to give a list of those more 

 generally employed. If others are needed for special work they 

 will be given at the proper place. 



Instruments. — A large number of instruments is not necessary. 

 It is a bad plan to purchase and depend on the many elaborate tools 

 designed for a special purpose, especially when the work can be 

 more satisfactorily accomplished with some simple instrument 

 guided by a practiced hand. Every endeavor should be made to 

 train the hands that they work skillfully, and this can best be done 

 through the use of simple appliances which demand a certain 

 amount of manual dexterity to accomplish the end for which they 

 are employed. Nearly all ordinary work can be done with this 

 outfit : 1. Two or three scalpels, one of which should be very 

 small and another quite large and strong. It is not necessary that 

 the blades should have special shapes. 2. Three or four needle- 

 holders provided with straight needles of moderate size. 3. Two 

 pairs of delicate forceps with soft springs. One pair should be 

 without teeth. 4. Two pairs of small scissors, one of which should 

 be curved. 5. A half-dozen camel's hair brushes, two of which 

 should be exceedingly fine, slender and pointed. These latter 

 should be fitted with handles. 0. A dozen deep watch-glasses. 

 Those known as the " Syracuse solid watch-glass," manufactured by 

 The Palmer Slide Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, will be found very 

 convenient. They should be of the finest quality, as imperfect 

 glass does not make a good background. 7. A package of the finest 

 cigarette papers and a sheet of paraffined paper for use as lifters. 

 8. Slips and covers. The slips should be 3x1 in., of good quality 

 of glass, and ground edge. It is not economy to buy cheap slips. 

 The most generally useful cover-glass is the |-inch circle. Larger 

 and smaller sizes should be kept. Do not get the thinnest, as they 

 are liable to break in handling and are only necessaiy for use with 

 the higher powers. 9. A microtome. To do good work it is abso- 



