MATERIALS REQUISITE FOR HISTOLOGICAL WORK. 



five or six shallow porcelain dishes, ounce gallipots, with flat 

 bottoms, in which to soak the tissues when they have been cut ; 

 glass slides for mounting specimens (the ordinary size is 3 x 1 

 inch) ; thin glass or mica covers (squares or circles) for cover- 

 ing the specimens (three-quarters of an inch is a good diameter). 



Mica covers are much cheaper than glass, and are suitable for rapid work 

 and when it is not desirable to make permanent preparations. 



FIG. 8. Beer's Cataract Knife. 



In addition, a small Beer's cataract knife (Fig. 8) will be 

 found useful for puncturing vessels and hollow organs to obtain 

 samples of their fluid contents. All of these articles may easily 

 be contained in the drawer of a box 10 x 12 inches in size ; ' the 

 upper portion will hold the necessary reagents. These latter 

 should comprise a small amount of a three-fourths per cent, 

 aqueous solution of sodium chloride, about an equal amount 

 of distilled water, dilute acetic acid, glycerine, and iodized se- 

 rum;* a fluid ounce of each will be all that is necessary, and 

 for convenience of use they may be put in corked bottles pro- 

 vided with capped pipettes passing through the corks. The 

 vials and perforated corks may be obtained of almost any 

 apothecary. The cap being of rubber, very small quantities 

 of the fluid can be withdrawn from the bottle and pressed out 

 as desired, either upon the slide or otherwise. 



Other reagents required are oil of cloves in a two-ounce 

 stoppered bottle ; dammar varnish or Canada balsam, each in 

 a capped bottle (Fig. 7), containing a glass rod ; a solution of 

 logwood, and another of borax carmine,* in ordinary glass 

 stoppered two-ounce bottles, and a small vial of asphalt or 

 some similar cement. It will be useful, in addition, to have a 

 small bottle (4 oz.) of absolute alcohol, another (8 oz.) of com- 

 mercial alcohol, some Muller's fluid 3 (8 oz.), and a solution of 

 the bichromate of potassium (gr. xv. 3 j.). 



1 T. H. McAllister, optician, No. 49 Nassau Street, New York City, has made one 

 for me which answers the purpose satisfactorily. Miller Bros., No. 69 Nassau Street 

 and 1213 Broadway, New York City, also make and furnish cases for the same 

 purpose. 



8 Formula in the chapter on General Methods. 



3 Ibid. 



