1882.] 



MICKOSCOPICAL JOIJENAL. 



51 



toxylin in water is allowed to act for a 

 short time; in any case the process 

 must be limited to an hour, as even 

 Amoebae succumb to a longer treat- 

 ment. Pure water should then be 

 allowed to replace the staining fluid. 

 The nuclei are found stained pale 

 violet. By this method the author has 

 discovered nuclein in the form of nu- 

 merous round granules in the endo- 

 sarc of Amoiba proteus, I.eidy, mea- 

 suring from Y^Vo to y-jPjTo rnn^-. i" 

 diameter; they have the same optical 

 properties as the nuclei, and react 

 chemically in the same way, and stain 

 readily and deeply with hrematoxylin. 

 The bulk of extra-nuclear nuclein 

 may be seen in old specimens to ex- 

 ceed that of the nucleus itself, and in 

 young individuals to exclusively rep- 

 resent the nucleus The author has 

 been led by the remarkable appear- 

 ance of the so-called nuclei to regard 

 them as reproductive bodies, and to 

 consider the nuclein-granules as rep- 

 resenting the nucleus proper, for the 

 membrane enveloping the nuclei ap- 

 pears in this amoeba to consist of cel- 

 lulose, it being insoluble in solution 

 of caustic soda, but dissolving in am- 

 monia-oxide of copper. 



Haematoxylin at first produces no 

 visible change in the liquid of the 

 contractile vacuole; later this assumes 

 a yellowish tint, and finally becomes 

 brown shortly before death: the acid 

 reaction of the liquid is thus proved. 

 Bismarck-brown stains the nuclei of 

 dead cells, but the only parts of Proto- 

 zoa affected by it in the living state are 

 the fatty granules and a peculiar mu- 

 cous substance resembling cellulose. 

 The solution should have a strength 

 of either i to 3000 or i to 5000; it is 

 best adapted for Heliozoa, Amoebae, 

 and Flagellata, which remain quite 

 healthy even after staining for several 

 hours, and when the parts above-men- 

 tioned have assumed a deep brown; 

 if replaced in pure water the color is 

 long retained by the fat-granules, 

 ^'^"ble-staining may be effected by 

 first using Bismarck-brown for an 

 hour, and then haematoxylin for a 



much shorter time; the protoplasm 

 alone remains uncolored. The dif- 

 ference in their colors shows which 

 of the granules are fatty and which 

 consist of nuclein. When death sets 

 in, in consequence of this treatment, 

 the nucleus becomes very deeply 

 stained, and the protoplasm acquires 

 some color. The action of cyanine 

 or quinolein blue, used in the propor- 

 tion of i: 100,000 or I : 500,000, re- 

 commended by Certes for Infusoria 

 and histological elements, is essenti- 

 ally the same as that of Bismarck- 

 brown. Certes finds that Infusoria 

 also stain with Bismarck-brown. 

 o 



Microscopical Laboratories. 



In the February number of the 

 Journal, there is an article by Dr. J. 

 W. Crumbaugh, in regard to which I 

 would like to offer a few words. Many 

 of his suggestions are good, but in some 

 respects I would beg leave to differ 

 with the writer. Dr. Crumbaugh's idea 

 is to surround the student with alto- 

 gether too much and too expen- 

 sive paraphernalia, which has a ten- 

 dency to discourage him at the start. 

 It has been my experience, and is 

 also so taught by the leader of patho- 

 logical science, Virchow, that the 

 more simple the microscope the bet- 

 ter. Better work can be done without 

 fancy rack stages and a multitude of 

 screws, as has been illustrated by some 

 of the work done by students under 

 Prof. Bunker, of L. I. Hospital Medi- 

 cal College. In place of Queen's 

 revolving table, I much prefer tables 

 made square or long, of heavy, pol- 

 ished wood, well oiled, and fastened 

 firmly to the floor. It has always 

 seemed rather strange to me why 

 some microscopists prefer artificial to 

 natural light; the former is much 

 more trying to the eyes, and accord- 

 ing to my idea, for general work it is 

 not so good. I would have the light 

 come in from only two sides, east and 

 north. The material for the student 

 to examine should always be as fresh 

 as possible, and when pathological, 



