ON STAINING FLUIDS, AND STAINING. 95 



For the second stains use 



Acid green, Bismarck brown or chrysoidin ; wash 

 in distilled water. 



Mount in pure glycerine jelly containing no trace 

 of acid. 



The best contrasts of colour will be found to be 



Fuchsin followed by acid green. 



Fuchsin followed by anilin (or soluble) blue. 



Bismarck brown followed by anilin (or soluble) 

 blue. 



Methyl violet followed by acid green. 



Clearing Media. 



Specimens which are to be mounted in Canada 

 balsam or any other resinous media must be pene- 

 trated by a " clearing " agent, which shall render 

 them perfectly transparent and remove from them 

 all traces of the alcohol in which they have been 

 dehydrated or kept. It is now generally admitted 

 that hardened balsam, which has been re-dissolved 

 in xylol is the best and most reliable preparation 

 of that most useful, valuable and permanent mount- 

 ing medium. 



It is obvious that a clearing agent which consists 

 in great measure of the solvent of the balsam must 

 be peculiarly adapted to precede the balsam, and it 

 may at once be said that the best, the cleanest in 

 its application, and the easiest to use, consists of a 

 mixture of exactly equal parts of xylol and absolute 

 phenol. The manner of its use is simplicity itself, 

 whilst its penetrative and " clearing " actions are 

 practically instantaneous. Much has been said and 

 written about elaborate processes for running the 



