308 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Nov 



ed rhubarb is adulterated by various substances. Here is 

 a specimen containing corn-starch. I accompany it by a 

 mount of pure corn-starch, that you may more easily de- 

 tect it in the powdered rhubarb. Conium fruit has been 

 mistaken for anise, and severe poisoning resulted. I show 

 you cross-sections of each drug. The row of from fifteen 

 to twenty oil tubes in the anise readily identifies it. If 

 the time permitted I could add many other similar dem- 

 onstrations. I trust these are sufficient to show you that 

 simple microscopes and cheap compound instruments are 

 useful in the drug store. — Dr. H. M. Whelpley, before the 

 Missouri Pharmaceutical Association. — Bulletin of Phar- 

 macy. 



Collection, Preservation, Staining and Mounting Tube-Casts, 

 Urinary Deposits, etc. 



In response to a request, we give the following outlines 

 of the processes for obtaining, preserving, staining, and 

 mounting, tube casts, epithelia. etc., from urine, used by 

 the writer in the preparation of slides, now upwards of 

 sixteen years old, but still clear and bright. 



If the urine was to come from any considerable distance, 

 the sender was directed to put a small crystal of naphtha- 

 lin in the container. This substance, while not soluble 

 to any observable extent in urine, has, nevertheless, the 

 property of preserving it from decomposition for several 

 days. As soon as the sample was received, it was pour- 

 ed into a conical glass, and put in a cold and quiet place 

 (a refrigerator, for instance) to settle. 



As soon as the upper two-thirds of the volume of liquid 

 became clear, that portion was drawn off with a syphon 

 or pipette down to as near the line of turbidity as possi- 

 ble, without removing or disturbing any of the solid ele- 

 ments. A few drops of a 2 per cent solution of osmic acid 

 are then added, and shortly afterwards enough of a solu- 



