GENERAL METHOD OF STAINING SPECIMENS 



39 



be used, as a short delay in one of the steps may spoil the speci- 

 men. 



A very useful instrument for transferring the delicate sections 

 from one solution to another is a little metal spatula, the blade 

 being flexible (Fig. 13). 



Fig. 12. Large laboratory microtome (Mallory and Wright). 



A still better plan, especially when the tissue is " crumbling," 

 is to carry out the whole procedure on the glass slide. 



Fig. 13. Spatula for lifting sections. 



General Principles. The section is transferred from the 

 alcohol in which it has been kept into water, which removes 

 the excess of alcohol, from here into 



Dish /, containing the stain, where it remains five to fifteen 

 minutes. Then 



