1899] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 41 



in spirits of turpentine to clear, draw it up onto a spat- 

 ula with a brush, place a little balsam in the centre of a 

 3 X 1 in. slip. Having got rid of your excess of spirits 

 of turpentine, place the section in the middle of the slip. 

 See that the balsam covers it, and if not add a little more. 

 Place it under alow power to see that there are no foreign 

 bodies attached to it. If so, remove with one of your 

 needles. If all is right, take a clean cover glass of suit- 

 able size, place it one edge down, lower it gently so as to 

 keep the object in the centre. Experience will greatly 

 help in this matter. When it is down on the specimen, 

 gently press it with the needle points. If the right quan- 

 tity of balsam has been used, very little will exude from 

 the edges. At first and until experience shows how 

 much to use, a good deal will come out, but this cannot be 

 helped, and must be cleaned off afterwards. The slide 

 may now be put aside for an unlimited time. It need not 

 be touched for months, but if required to dry it quickly, 

 resort must be had to a drying stove. Or it can be placed 

 in the oven at night after the fire is out. A simple con- 

 trivance may be constructed out of a square tin, so that 

 a number of objects may be done at once. A very small 

 gas jet should be placed underneath which will keep up 

 the required temperature for any length of time. About 

 100° Fahrenheit is a suitable temperature. Do not let the 

 temperature get too high, or the balsam will turn brown 

 and the slides be spoiled. 



The quick or exposure method is principally used 

 where balsam and benzole is the media. Take a clean 3 

 X 1 in. slip, also a cover glass. Hold the latter in the 

 forceps, breath on it and place the side where the mois- 

 ture is down on the slide. Gently press it with the needle 

 point, place a fair amount of balsam and benzole on the 

 cover, and immerse the section in it, care being taken to 

 get rid of much of the spirits of turpentine or whateve r 

 it may have been in. See that it is covered with the bal 



