8 Animal Micrology 



(96 per cent.) alcohol. The water in the alcohol immediately 

 unites with it, turning it blue. Anhydrous sulphate should be 

 added until it no longer turns blue. The alcohol is then filtered 

 into a clean, dry bottle which must have a tight-fitting cork or 

 ground-glass stopper. It is well to smear the glass stopper with 

 vaselin, so that when placed in the bottle, all moisture from the 

 air may be completely excluded. 



3. Acid Alcohol. 



Alcohol (70 per cent.) 99 c.c. 



Hydrochloric acid (pure) 1 c.c. 



For sections use the mixture only a few seconds or minutes. 

 For material stained in bulk, add twice as much 70 per cent, 

 alcohol and leave the object in it until sufficiently decolorized 

 (2 to 24 hours). 



4. Ether and Alcohol. Absolute alcohol and sulphuric ether 

 equal parts. Quantity, 250 c.c. Keep the ether distant from 

 all flames. 



5. Normal Saline. Prepare a 0.7 per cent, solution of sodium 

 chloride in distilled water. This is termed a normal salt solution 

 because it is a solution of about the same density as natural 

 lymph, and is much less harmful to living tissues than is distilled 

 water. Quantity, 500 c.c. 



6. Formalin (also termed formal, formol, formolose). Com- 

 mercial formalin is a 40 per cent, solution of formaldehyde in 

 water. A 4 per cent, solution of formalin would be made by 

 taking 4 volumes of commercial formalin and 96 volumes of 

 water. This is, however, only a 1.6 per cent, solution of formal- 

 dehyde. Make a 10 per cent, solution of formalin. Quantity, 

 250 c.c. 



7. Gilson's Mercuro-Nitric Fixing Fluid. 



Bichloride of mercury (corrosive sublimate) 5 grams 

 Nitric acid (approx. 80 per cent.) .... 4 c.c. 



Glacial acetic acid 1 c.c. 



Alcohol (70 per cent.) 25 c.c. 



Distilled water 220 c.c. 



Quantity, 250 c.c. 



