1898.J MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 219 



surface of the skin into the solution and stir thoroughly. 

 Use a looped wire, similar to the platinum loop used in 

 transferring sputum to a slide, b^t with the loop made 

 smaller. Now the blood may be carried any distance 

 without change. This is all that is necessary to do at 

 the bedside, and the subsequent manipulations may be 

 made at leisure. When it is desired to continue and 

 complete the examination, a slide and cover glass are 

 cleaned in the ordinary way, the mixture of blood and 

 Hayem's fluid is stirred or shaken, and a small drop 

 placed upon the slide. If a stained preparation is not 

 desired, the mixture is covered with a cover glass and ex- 

 amined at once. It will be seen that all the corpuscles 

 are separate, with no tendency to collect together, and 

 not distorted. 



If it is desired to prepare stained specimens, then 

 after the small drop is placed upon the slide it is to be 

 subjected to the following manipulations. The following 

 solution is to be used : 



Formaline 8 drops. 



Alcohol 3 drachms. 



A quantity equal to twice the bulk of the blood solu- 

 tion which had been placed upon the slide is now placed 

 also upon the slide, so that the blood solution and forma- 

 line in alchohol solution shall come in contact by their 

 sides. At once it will be noticed that the blood is being 

 precipitated as a very fine white precipitate. The slide 

 should now be left to lie perfectly flat for at least one 

 minute, after which time fixation is complete. 



Now the fluids may be allowed to evaporate slowly, or 

 if it is desired to rapidly complete the process, small 

 pieces of blotting paper may be applied to the edges of 

 the fluid, and some of it cautiously absorbed, always 

 watching the white precipitate to see that it is not also 

 removed by the blotting paper. When but little of the 

 fluid remains, gentle heat may, in my experience, be used 



