56 THE AMEBIC AN MONTHLY. [February, 



hoi. x\fter twenty-four hours the tissue is ready for cleaning, for 

 which bergamot oil is used. The object remains in this from two 

 to twenty-four hours, according to size, when it is removed to a 

 bath of equal parts of soft paraffin and bergamot oil, kept at the 

 melting point : then to paraffin which melts at 45° C, where it 

 remains from one to two hours. The object is now removed to 

 paraffin which melts at 58° C. ; after remaining from one to two 

 hours it is finally imbedded. The sections are now cut with the 

 microtome, and fixed upon the slide by the modified method 01 

 Gulland. A drop of water is placed on the slide over the surface 

 to be occupied by the section. The slide is then warmed but 

 kept below the melting point of the paraffin in which the object 

 is imbedded. The section is placed on the drop of water, where 

 it at once flattens perfectly ; the excess of water is removed by 

 blotting-paper ; the slide is kept warm until the water has evap- 

 orated. The paraffin surrounding the section is then cautiously 

 melted. The slide is placed in xylol or benzine to remove paraf- 

 fin, and is then placed in 95 per cent, alcohol, where it remains 

 from an hour and a half to six hours. The sections are now 

 treated with pure tincture of iodine in order to remove the excess 

 of corrosive sublimate ; the tincture is allowed to act for about 

 fifteen minutes ; the slide is then placed in 95 per cent, alcohol, 

 where it remains until no more iodine dissolves out of the section, 

 which is then ready for the stain. 



The sublimate fixing solution is spoiled by contact with metal- 

 lic substances, and tissue fixed in it becomes brittle if kept long 

 in alcohol. The disadvantages may be overcome by using glass 

 or wooden rods for transferring objects to and from the solution, 

 and by imbedding early. 



Detection of Frozen Meat. — The process adopted by the 

 author for distinguishing between fresh meat and that which has 

 been preserved in the frozen state consists in expressing a little 

 blood or meat juice from the sample and examining it under the 

 microscope. The whole operation must be performed quickly, 

 in order to prevent any drying up of the liquid under examina- 

 tion. When the juice of the fresh flesh is thus examined it is 

 seen to contain numerous red corpuscles, which are normal in 

 color, and float in a clear serum. In the case of blood from 

 frozen flesh, the corpuscles have dissolved in the serum under the 

 influence of the low temperature, and not a single normal red 

 corpuscle can be seen. The hasmoglobin escapes into the serum, 

 and appears as irregular yellow-brown crystals. These may be 

 frequently seen bv the naked eye, but, in every case, can be 

 readily detected under the microscope. — Maljean^ ^'^ J- Pharm. 

 Ckini. 



Cleaning Bottles. — Greasy bottles: Wash with benzine or 

 with a solution of permanganate of potash to which lias been 



