182 



NOTES AND MEMORANDA. 



becomes gradually diluted by absorption of water, and in 

 which, on ihe other hand, as it must be supposed, carbonic 

 acid is developed by decomposition, all the conditions are 

 present under which paraglobulin may be precipitated. 

 That Lostorfer's corpuscles are to be met with abundantly 

 generally only in blood-preparations from syphilitic patients, 

 seems to show that their blood contains either more para- 

 globulin or less fibrinogenous substance than other blood, — 

 E. Klein, M.D., (m Medical Record.) 



A New Section Cutter. — Professor Biscoe has contrived 

 a new section cutter which is principally adapted for pre- 

 paring sections of soft vegetable tissues and organs, such as 

 leaves, buds, «&c. It consists essentially of a large glass stage- 

 plate upon which the object is fastened, and a movable 

 frame to slide upon this, carrying a razor blade at an adjust- 

 able distance from the plate. This apparatus cuts sections 

 of objects while they are under observation on the stage of 

 the microscope, under powers as high as the f inch ( x 80) ; 

 and with it Prof. Biscoe has been able to cut series of fifteen 

 consecutive sections, each one of which was perfect and the 

 average thickness of which was -g-gVo inch. The following 

 is his description of the contrivance : 



Fig. 1 is a plate that fits on to the stage of the microscope 

 with a tight friction, yet so that it has movements of an inch 

 or more in any direction, so that the object can be brought 



Fm. 1. 



into the field of view ; a is a glass plate held in place by the 

 two pieces of wood, with screws on the right and left ; h is 

 the wooden base of the affair with an oval opening for the 

 illuminating apparatus to come up ; this wooden base being 

 covered on the inner or upper side with velvet to make smooth 



