1897j MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 133 



MICROSCOPICAL MANIPULATIOiN. 



Formaldehyde. — Among- the newer preparations formal- 

 dehydeappearstobe meeting-many of the claims made for it. 

 It seems to have a wide field of usefulness in several direc- 

 tions: 1. Asa food preservative; 2. As a deodorant 

 either in vapor or solution; 3. As a hardening- ag-ent in 

 microscopical work; 4. As a preservative of human cada- 

 vers; 5. A careful inspection has shown that disinfection 

 by means of formaldehyde vapor is most thoroug-h and 

 complete. 



Experiments prove conclusively that formaldehyde as 

 a preservative for mucilag-e and paste is the ne plus ultra. 

 Before however, this preparation can be used indiscrim- 

 inately as a preservative for foods and liquors, its nontox- 

 icit}' must be established beyond the shadow of a doubt. 

 It would seem that this preparation covers a wider field as 

 a preservative than either salicylic acid or borax, and the 

 same care which has been used in testing- the physiolog-i- 

 cal effects of these, should be employed with formaldehyde. 



Not long- ag-o, when for present lack of time, several 

 specimens of patholog-ical urine could not be examined 

 immediately by a physician, he added two drops of the 40 

 per cent solution of formaldehyde to each four ounce bot- 

 tle of the specimens, which expedient answered admirably. 

 Recent experiments in mounting- tube-casts, using- form- 

 aldehy^de as a preservative, have proved its efficacy after 

 five weeks. Still these experiments have not continued 

 long- enoug-h to g-uarantee the permanency of the result. — 

 Western Drug-g-ist. 



MEDICAL MICROSCOPY. 



Yellow Fever.- There seems no reason to doubt that 

 Giusseppe Sanarelli has discovered the bacillus of yellow 

 fever, as announced some weeks ag-o. Whether he has 

 discovered a means of curing- it, remains to be proved; 

 but the experiment and the result will shortly be pub- 



