15 



Claudius method. 



Stain with a i per cent, aqueous solution of methyl 

 violet for two minutes, wash and place in a half-saturated 

 solution of picric acid for one or two minutes. De- 

 colourize with chloroform or clove oil, then treat with 

 zylol and mount in Canada balsam. 



Note. — In staining this organism the iodine solution 

 may, with advantage, be made stronger ; in fact, to be 

 accurate for the Gram-Nicolle method, the solution 

 should be : — iodine, i part ; iodide of potassium, 2 parts ; 

 and distilled water, 200 parts. 



Also note that when the specimens are treated with 

 alcohol they are very much inclined to fade, so that if 

 one wishes to preserve them the methods in which 

 alcohol is used are not to be recommended, and con- 

 sequently it will be easily understood that better results 

 are obtainable with a strong mordant and the use of 

 aniline oil as a decolourizing agent. 



While on the subject of staining, I might mention 

 that all the stains required can now be obtained ready- 

 made in the form of tabloids, together with detailed 

 instructions for use of the same. These preparations 

 are most convenient and very portable. 



Tokishige states that the young saccharomyces, 

 which are full of protoplasm, easily take aniline stains, 

 while those which contain fluid plasma never take the 

 usual bacterial stains, and also that those granules which 

 are free in the Hquor puris can never be stained. 

 According to Tokishige the organism is reproduced by 

 budding. The cells become elongated, and after about 

 a week they become dilated, the central granule enlarges 

 and divides into two or more daughter granules of a 

 faintly yellowish colour and homogenous quality. The 

 swollen microbe often attains a diameter of 6 to 7 and 

 even 12*45 '"■ ^'^*^ ^^^ granule 2-5 fx. After a time 



