STAINING AND MOUNTING. IQI 



which may be mounted in handles ; slides, cover- 

 glasses, and balsam. 



A section is to be removed from the bowl of water in 

 which it is floating by means of one of the strips of 

 paper ; this must be inserted under it, and the section 

 " pinned " in place upon by one of the needles. A 

 special section-lifter may be used, but is not so good. 

 It is then transferred to the watch-glass containing the 

 haematoxylin solution, and the staining process is 

 allowed to go on for a minute or two, a fresh section 

 being manipulated whilst it is taking place. The first 

 section is then removed in the same way as before and 

 placed in the water containing the ammonia ; it soon 

 turns blue, and when this is the case it is ready to be 

 transferred to the eosin, then into the dilute alcohol, 

 the absolute alcohol (where it should remain for a 

 minute or more) and finally into the oil of cloves. It is 

 then ready to be mounted in balsam. A convenient 

 way in which a section can be transferred to a slide is 

 as follows : The section is carefully spread out whilst 

 in the oil of cloves, two needles being used for the pur- 

 pose, and a slip of paper insinuated beneath it. This 

 strip of paper is then drawn slowly out of the liquid, 

 and any folds or creases which may be in the section 

 straightened out with the needles, the excess of the oil 

 of cloves being allowed to drop off whilst this is taking 

 place. The strip of paper is then inverted (the section 

 remaining adherent to the under surface) and placed 

 upon a clean slide and pressed firmly upon it ; the 

 pressure squeezes out the greater part of the oil so that 

 the section adheres to the slide and the paper can be 

 stripped cautiously from it. A drop of balsam is then 

 applied, the section covered with a cover-glass, and 

 examined under the microscope. 



