1901} MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 113 
different ones. Calcium oxalate occurs in monoclinic and 
tetragonal systems. Microscopic physical conditions must 
be taken into account in work of this kind. 
A New MEraHop or CouNTING THE WHITE CORPUSCLES 
has been devised by Kourloff (Vratch). It is a dry meth- 
od, and consists in drawing the blood into a graduated 
pipette, depositing a thin film on two cover-glasses, whose 
surface is measured by a network of lines. The white 
cells are then counted and the area measured by means of 
the movable stage and Ehrlich’s diaphragm. This meth- 
od allows the operator to work without haste and the re- 
sults can be verified at any time. The writer asserts that | 
he can count from 1,000 to 2,000 morewhite cells than by 
the Thoma-Zeiss cell, the dilutent in that method chang- 
ing and destroying some white cells. 
STAIN FoR ELASTIC FIBERS IN SpuTUM.—L. Michaelis 
(Deut. Med. Woch., April 4, 1901) gives the results of mix- 
ing various basic stains with resorcin, all being equally 
effective in staining elastic fibers in sputum. He prefers 
fuchsin, resorcin, and ferric chloride, which produces a 
dark blue stain. The suspicious part of the sputum is 
spread between two cover-glasses and allowed to dry in 
the air. A cover-glass is then immersed in a glass con- 
taining the stain, which can be used a long time. The 
alcohol in the staining solution acts asa fixing agent, and 
in half an hour the specimen is removed, rinsed in water, 
and placed in a three-per-cent hydrochloric acid solution 
until it appears colorless. Itis then dried and covered 
with a drop of cedar oil. Examine with a microscope,and 
the elastic fibers will be stained a dark violet, while all 
other fibers, such as wool, cotton, and vegetable fibres 
from food, are not stained. This method gives us another 
means of making an early diagnosis in tuberculosis, as 
there is no element in the sputum of bronchitis which 
gives this reaction.—Med. Age. 
