1890.] MICKOSCOPICAL JOUKNAL. 13 



The material to be examined must form a very thin layer upon the 

 cover-glass. If the germ-containing substance is albuminous a very 

 small quantity of it is added to a drop of sterile distilled water on a 

 cover-glass and thoroughly mixed with it ; a small quantity of this is 

 conveyed to a second cover-glass and treated in a like manner ; and 

 again from the second a third preparation is made. By this treatment 

 the albuminous substance is sufficiently diluted, and the microbes are 

 isolated in a watery medium. The preparations are allowed to dry in 

 the air, after which the films are fixed by passing the cover-glass film 

 upward through a flame in the usual manner. 



A few drops of the mordant are poured over the film, and the cover- 

 glass held over a flame until the fluid begins to evaporate. It is then 

 removed from the action of the flame, and after a very short time the 

 mordant is washed off' in a stream of distilled water. Care should be 

 taken to remove all traces of the mordant from the edge of the cover- 

 glass, as it would form, if present, a very troublesome precipitate with 

 the staining fluid. 



The next step is to filter a few drops of the staining fluid upon the 

 film. This is allowed to act for a brief time, when the cover-glass is 

 held over a flame and gently heated. Better results are obtained if the 

 staining fluid is only slightly warmed and allowed to act for a longer 

 period. 



As soon as the film becomes darkened (a blackish red if fuchsin is 

 used) the stain is washed off' in distilled water. The preparation is now 

 ready for microscopical examination. This can be made at once in a 

 drop of distilled water, or the preparation allowed to dry and mounted 

 in balsam. 



The microbes with their flagella should be deeply stained, resting 

 upon a colorless background if the germs are in a purely watery me- 

 dium, but if albumen is present they are surrounded by a uniformly 

 feebly stained medium, the intensity of which depends upon the quan- 

 tity of albumen in the film. 



With this method Professor Loeffler has succeeded in demonstrating 

 the flagella on a large number of motile bacilli, spirilla, and also upon 

 the motile micrococcus recently described by Ali. Cohen. 



EDITORIAL. 



Our First Decade. — This journal was founded in January, iS8o, 

 and has therefore completed its first decade. It is the oldest micro- 

 scopical journal now published in the United States. Its founder and 

 well-wisher. Prof. Romyn Hitchcock, still lives in Washington, and 

 although devoting his time largely to chemistry and photography, con- 

 tributes an article to the present number. During the past two years 

 a constant increase in the subscription list has enabled us to furnish 

 many fine illustrations and to increase the size of the journal. 



Each volume has had its index, but a combined index for lo years 

 vs^ould be valuable to those who have the complete series. Owing to 

 the absence of the earlier subscription lists and to the fact that many do 

 not preserve their numbers, it is impossible now to say how many sets are 

 in existence. As a matter of statistics and to enable us to decide 



