100 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Marcli 



Revival of an Old Histological Method for Rapid Diag- 

 nosis. -Dr. A. A. Kanthack and Mr. T. S. Pig-g" found, of 

 ail rapid methods of hardening- tissue, that of immersing- 

 small blocks in boiling- water for three or four minutes or 

 in the caseof delicatetissueone minute, wasthe most rapid. 

 The tissue could then be at once cut on the freezing- micro- 

 tome, and the section stained well with log-wood or other 

 dyes; or it could be preserved in alcohol or Muller's fluid, 

 or treated by the paraffin method. For rapid diag-nosis in 

 the case of surgical operations, it was particularly valuable. 

 — British Medical Journal. 



Stains for Vegetable Tissues. -Dr. E. Vinassa has in- 

 vestig-ated the value of aniline colors for staining- veg-eta- 

 ble tissues, and divides them into three g-roups only: saf- 

 ranin, congo-red, benzopurpurins, etc.; those affecting- 

 lignilied tissues, coUenchyma vessels, and nuclear sheaths 

 — vesuvin, Victoria g-reen, chrysoidin, violet, methyl green, 

 fuchsin, etc.; and stains that merely differentiate, such as 

 Victoria blues B, RRRR, and BB, which color the thick- 

 ened cells darker than the surounding- tissue, and thus 

 render them more conspicuous. To ensure sections being- 

 well stained, all protoplasm, etc., must be g-ot rid of. This 

 is effected with soda lye, washing- with much water (acidi- 

 fied with acetic acid if necessary), and then allowing- to 

 drain. Afterwards immerse in a ^ to 1 per cent lukewarm 

 stain solution for two or three minutes, and ag-ain wash un- 

 til the water runs clear. 



For double staining-, first put sections in the stain affect- 

 ing- the lig-nified tissue, thickened cell-walls, etc., wash well 

 and transfer to stain for parenchyma. This should be 

 heated to 100 C. and rendered slig-htly alkaline. Colors 

 which are fast on cotton were found to stain parenchyma, 

 whilst those that dye wool or silk directly stain the thick- 

 ened cell-wall, etc. Suitable mordants (tannin, acetate of 

 lead, etc. ) for fixing- the colors must be found by experi- 

 ment. 



The sterilization of Milk. — J. A. Forret has examined 

 various methods for the sterilization of milk and finds that 



