232 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [December, 



top with fresh macerating fluid, and a cork forced in until it comes within half 

 an inch of the sui^face of the fluid, thus leaving a small amount of enclosed 

 air. The burette is now inverted and the bubble of air travels slowly up 

 through the fluid, gently shaking the bits of tissue and freeing the nerve cells 

 from the adhering intercellular substance. This manipulation is repeated 

 at intervals of half an hour until the bits of tissue become reduced to powder. 

 The burette is then placed in an upright position, and when the material has 

 all settled the fluid is poured ofl\ The material is now washed several times 

 with distilled water by the method of decantation, and finally poured into a 

 conical precipitation glass and allowed to settle. The water is then poured 

 oft', and the material stained by adding a solution of ammonia or picro-carmine. 

 The staining requires from twelve to fifteen hours. After the staining has been 

 accomplished the material is washed several times with distilled water, and 

 finally preserved in a mixture of i part alcohol and 3 parts glycerine. 



By this method of agitation the force applied is so slight that the more 

 delicate processes of the cells, which are broken oft" by the more vigorous 

 force used in the usual methods, are preserved. I have succeeded with this 

 method in isolating cells from the spinal cord and cerebellum with the 

 processes attached down to the fourth divisions. With the cerebral cortex 

 my preparations up to the present time have not been as successful. 



A Substitute for Corks in Imbedding. — The soaking of the corks in 

 dilute alcohol used for coagulating the celloidin renders them so soft 

 that they have a tendency to give before the microtome knife. If we try to 

 overcome this difficulty by tightening the screw of the clamp, the cork is apt 

 to bulge on its upper surface, thus loosening the specimen. 



As a substitute for corks, we are now using in the laboratory what are 

 known as ' deck plugs.' These are cylinders of white pine one inch high, 

 and varying in diameter from one-half inch to one and a half inches. They 

 may be obtained from any manufacturer of barrel bungs. 



These 'deck plugs' are used in the same manner as the corks. They 

 may be written on with a lead pencil, thus enabling one to label his speci- 

 mens and keep a number in the same bottle of alcohol. 



Intestinal Worms in Cats. 



By F. BLANCHARD, M. D. 



In this section of the country observation tends to show that cats are com- 

 monly infested by intestinal worms. Nearly every household has from one 

 to five cats, and it is rare to see a fi\t, glossy, healthy specimen. On inquiry 

 it is generally learned that a large proportion of the sickly ones are ' troubled 

 with worms.' This is not theoretical, but is proved by the frequent vomiting 

 of entozoa by the sick cats. The symptoms produced in the cat by the pres- 

 ence of intestinal worms are a restlessness and uneasy manner, a voracious 

 appetite, frequent vomiting, and occasional attacks of epileptiform convulsions. 

 The worm most commonly noticed is Ascaris mystax^ but Tcenia also occurs. 



Five vears ago the writer killed a sickly cat and made an immediate post 

 mortem. In the small intestine were found fovu^ tape-worms (species undeter- 

 mined) , and twenty-four specimens of Ascaris iiiystax. The tape- worms were 

 folded upon themselves longitudinally, and in one place must have produced 

 nearly complete obstruction of the intestinal canal. 



Peacham, Vt., AW. 10, 1S88, 



Foster's Physiology is now being i-eissued in a fifth and enlarged edi- 

 tion. The first part has already appeared, and covers the ground of Book I, 

 the vascular mechanism of former editions. 



