OF MICROSCOPIC OBJECTS. 



CHAPTER VI. 



SECTIONS AND HOW TO CUT THEM, WITH SOME REMARKS 

 ON DISSECTION.* 



MANY objects are almost worthless to the microscopist until 

 extraneous matter is removed from them ; and this is fre- 

 quently difficult in the extreme to perform satisfactorily. As 

 an instance, certain Foraminifera maybe mentioned in which 

 the cells are placed one upon another, consequently the ob- 

 ject must be reduced to a certain degree of thinness before a 

 single uniform layer of these cells can be obtained to show 

 something of the internal arrangements. 



Most animal and vegetable forms require an examination 

 of the separate parts before much can be known about them. 

 The mass must be divided into separate portions, each part 

 intended to be preserved being cleaned from the useless 

 matter with which it is surrounded. It will frequently be 

 found necessary to make thin sections, which from a very 

 tender substance is no easy matter ; and much patience will 

 be necessary to attain anything like proficiency. 



This making of sections was not until very recently 

 undertaken by many except those belonging to the medical 

 profession, but I do not see why this should be so, as much 

 may be accomplished by a persevering and interested mind 

 where there is time for entering into the subject. I will 

 therefore make an attempt to give some instructions on this 

 subject also. We will first consider the cutting of sections 

 from hard substances, in which the ordinary knife, chisel, 



* As some knowledge of dissection is necessary to success in injection 

 additional matter on this subject will be found in Chapter VII. 



