CHAPTEE II. 

 Accessory Apparatus. 



HAVING placed the student in a position to choose his 

 own microtome, it remains for us to indicate accessory 

 apparatus in connection with the work of microtomy. The 

 first consideration will be the cutting instruments. There 

 are many patterns of microtome knives made by various 

 makers, but the best and most useful are as follows (they 

 are all made by W. Walb of Heidelberg) : 



The Selection of Knives. 1. Henking's pattern 

 (Fig. 67) is beyond doubt the most useful knife for general 

 paraffin cutting by the sledge microtomes. The best 



FIG. 67. HENKING'S MICROTOME KNIFE. 



size is that having the blade 6 centimetres long, and the 

 handle 9 centimetres long. These knives, owing to their 

 short length of blade and good-sized handle for gripping 

 by the hand, are more easily sharpened than any other 

 form of microtome knife, save perhaps the Jung pattern. 

 It must be understood that the Henking knife is only 

 suitable for paraffin or ice embedding where the knife 

 works at right angles to the microtome tramway. Owing 

 to their small size, they are comparatively inexpensive. 



