i04 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [March 



than 2-3 Micron. . . The paraffin ections were spread out 

 on warm water (40 — 45° C), after Gulland, and fixed to the 

 slide by Mann's albumen method, and then stained in Mann's 

 methylblau-eosin mixture as follows : — 

 Requisites. — The staining fluid : — 



a. — 1 percent, methylblau in distilled water . 35 cc. 

 1 per cent, water-soluble eosin in dis- 

 tilled water . . . . 45 cc. 

 Distilled water .... 100 cc. 

 b. — 1 per cent, caustic soda in absolute alcohol. 

 The Methylwasserblau was obtained from Dr. Grubler, 

 Leipzig. 



Method. 

 1. — Stain for twenty-four hours. 

 2. — Rinse the dark-blue sections in ordinary water. 

 3. — Dehydrate thoroughly with absolute alcohol. 

 4. — Transfer the slide to a vessel containing : Absolute alco- 

 hol, 30 cc, and 1 per cent, caustic soda solution in abso- 

 lute alcohol, 4 drops. Wait till sections are of a rust 

 color. 

 5. — Remove all traces of caustic soda with absolute alcohol. 

 6. — Rinse sections in ordinary water for one minute. Red 



clouds are given off and the sections become bluish. 

 7. — Place slides for two minutes into water slightly acidified 

 with acetic acid. This is done to deepen and fully re- 

 store the blue color, and also to fix the eosin. 

 8. — Dehydrate, clear with xylol (not clove oil), and mount in 

 turpentine balsam." — The International Journal of Micros- 

 copy. 



BACTERIOLOGY. 



Bacteria of the Intestinal Canal. — Dcs. Gilbert and Domi- 

 nici recently reported to the Biological Society of Paris, the re- 

 sults of an interesting experiment, the purpose of which was to 

 determine the influence of purgatives in the elimination of mi- 

 crobes from the alimentary canal. Half an ounce of sulphate 

 of soda and an equal quantity of magnesium sulphate were ad- 

 ministered to a healty adult in the morning before breakfast. 



