388 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



MEETING 



Held on the 18th of Apkil, 1906, at 20 Hanover Square, W., 

 G-. C. Karop, Esq., M.R.C.S., etc., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the Meeting of the 21st of March, 1906, were read 

 and confirmed, and were signed by the Chairman. 



The List of Donations to the Society (exclusive of exchanges and 

 reprints) received since the last Meeting, was read, and the thanks of the 

 Society were voted to the donors. 



From 

 Kircher, Athanasius, De Arte Magnetica. 2nd ed. (4to, | Messrs. Baxter, 



Colonise Agrippinae, 1643) . . . . . . > Disney, Michael, 



Porta, John Baptista, Natural Magic. (4to, London, 1669) ) and Badlcy. 



The Wild Fauna and Flora of the Royal Botanic Gardens, "I The Director, 



Kew .......... j Royal Gardens, Kcw. 



Dr. Hebb showed some cultures of bacteria on blood serum and agar 

 which were preserved in formalin. The cultures were killed and at 

 the same time mounted by pouring into the test tube 10 p.c. formalin, 

 on the top of which was placed a mixture of melted paraffin- wax and 

 vaselin. When cool, the plug adapted itself to the surface of the 

 formalin, forming an air-tight and stable cylindrical stopper. The 

 upper end of the tube was stuffed with cotton wool, and covered with a 

 caoutchouc cap. 



The specimens shown were B. typhosus, the butter bacillus, B. subtilis, 

 Micrococcus pyogenes aureus and albus, and a mixed culture of cocci 

 from the throat. The cultures exhibited had been prepared some two 

 months ago, and still retained their characteristic appearance, which 

 was well seen through the transparent media. The exhibitor remarked 

 that the method was not adapted for cultures of every description of 

 organism, as some, e.g. glanders, were dissolved off the surface by the 

 preservative fluid. 



Dr. Hebb also exhibited some tubes filled with sterilised nutrient 

 broth and plugged in the same way as the formolised cultures previously 

 described. The object of the plug was to allow the tubes to be trans- 

 ported from place to place without damage or loss of the medium. In 

 order to remove the plug, it was merely necessary to warm the tube, 

 though in the case of the smaller tubes this may be done by pushing 

 a hot needle through it and allowing it to cool. The plug was then 

 easily pulled out. Both these devices, which had been found in 

 practice to be extremely useful, were due to the ingenuity of Mr. F. 

 Chopping, the Laboratory Assistant at Westminster Hospital. 



Dr. Hebb also exhibited a syringe for obtaining blood for bacte- 



