242 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



solution 0*1 p.c. for 2 days, and then for 2 days more to - 25 p.c. On 

 removal wash for a long time in running water. Follow this by graded 

 alcohols to dehydration ; xylol ; paraffin. The sections, after removal 

 of the paraffin, are to be treated hot for 5-10 minutes with an anilin- 

 water solution saturated with acid-fuchsin. This solution is made by 

 dissolving at a temperature of 70°-80° C. 3 c.cm. of anilin oil in 100 c.cm. 

 of distilled water. "When cold, 2 grm. of finely powdered acid-fuchsin are 

 slowly added. After standing for 24 hours and then filtering, the mix- 

 ture is ready for use. The stained sections are then washed in running 

 water, after which they are differentiated for 4 or 5 minutes with a satu- 

 rated aqueous solution of picric acid. Differentiation is followed by 

 washing again in running water, then rapid dehydration in absolute 

 alcohol ; xylol ; and balsam. 



This method is very successful for thyroid and pancreas, as well as 

 for the pituitary body. 



Intra-vitam Stains for Nervous Tissue.* — A. Leontowitsch finds 

 that Thiopyronin, a rose-coloured pigment with bluish fluorescence, 

 stains Remak's fibres well, and suggests that a combination with me- 

 thylen-blue might prove useful. 



Gentianin and thionin blue, Gr 7 extra, gave results comparable 

 with those of methylen-blue. 



The commercial articles must be purified before use by crystallising 

 out two or three times from hot 90 p.c. ethyl-alcohol. 



Stain for Photomicrography. — E. Moffat recommends the follow- 

 ing stain for photomicrography : fuchsin ■ 06 grm., methylen-blue 

 • 04 grm., alcohol (90 p.c.) 5 c.cm. Add aqueous solution of carbolic 

 acid 5 p.c, to make up to 25 c.cm. Make films from cultures in the 

 usual way and flood with the filtered stain ; warm gently, wash well, dry 

 in air, and mount in balsam. 



This solution is a very powerful stain, and used as above gives 

 excellent results with diphtheria, anthrax, cocci, and other bacteria, 

 rendering these organisms very easy to photograph when the film is 

 prepared from a pure culture. The solution when diluted is serviceable 

 for section staining. 



New Method of Demonstrating Spirochseta Pallida in Hereditary 

 Syphilis.f — C. Levaditi proceeds as follows. Pieces about 1 mm. thick 

 are fixed in 10 p.c. formalin for 24 hours. They are then washed and 

 hardened in 90 p.c. alcohol for 24 hours. The alcohol is next removed 

 in distilled water, after which the pieces are impregnated in from 1 ■ 5- 

 3'0 p.c. silver nitrate. The impregnation is carried out at 38° C. for 

 from 3-5 days. After removal the pieces are washed in distilled water 

 and thereupon placed for 24-48 hours at room temperature in the 

 following reducing mixture : pyrogallic acid 2-4 p.c, formalin 5 c.cm., 

 distilled water 100 c.cm. On removal the pieces are washed, dehydrated 

 in alcohol, and paraffin sections made. 



The sections are stained (1) by G-iemsa's method and differentiated 



* Phvsiologiste Russe, iv. (1905) pp. 5-8. 



t Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xx. (1906) pp. 41-C8 (2 pis.). 



