1897] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 183 



MICROSCOPICAL MANIPULATION. 



Formaldehyde. Amonj^- the newer prei):ir;ili()ns loriiKil- 

 ilehv<le;ii)pearst()bemceting"many of the claims made for it. 

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

 tions: 1. Asa food presei^vative; 2. As a deodorant 

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

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

 vers; 5. A careful inspection has shown that disinfection 

 by means of foi'maldeh vde va])or is most thorou<j-h and 

 complete. 



Experiments prove conclusivelv that formahlehvde as 

 a preservative for mucilag'e anil paste is the ne plus ultra. 

 Before however, this preparation can be used indiscrim- 

 inatelv as a i)reservative for foods and liquors, its nontox- 

 icity must be established beyond the shadow of a doubt. 

 It would seem that this i)reparation covers a wider field as 

 a preservative than either salicylic acid or borax, and the 

 same care which' has been used in testing- the physiologi- 

 cal effects of these, should i)e employed with formahlehvde. 



Not long ago, when for present lack of time, several 

 specimens of pathological urine could not be examined 

 immediately by a physician, he added two dro])s of the 40 

 per cent solution of formaldehyde to each four ounce bot- 

 tle of the specimens, which expedient answered admirablv. 

 Recent experiments in mounting tube-casts, using form- 

 aldehyde as a preservative', have proved its efficacy after 

 live weeks. Still these exj)eriments have not continued 

 long enough to guai'antee the ])ermanency of the result. — 

 Western Druggist. 



MEDICAL MICROSCOPY. 



Yellow Fever. There seems no reason to doubt that 

 (liusseppe Sanarelli has discovered the l)acillus of yellow 

 fever, as announced some weeks ago. Whether he has 

 discovered a means of curing it, i"emains to l)e proved; 

 but the experiment and the result will sh(»rtlv l)e pul)- 



