CHOICE AND USE OF APPARATUS 



along the second joint of the index finger in such 

 a manner that the heel of the razor, or a point near 

 the heel comes gainst the end of the stem. For the 

 first time we realize the importance of holding our 

 specimen correctly, for the index finger forms 

 a convenient platform on which to steady the razor. 

 To cut our section, we, of course, press the razor 

 towards us and, at the same time draw it outwards 

 from heel to toe. We must never attempt to press 

 the razor straight through the specimen, however 

 soft the latter may be, we must always draw the 

 razor along, at the same time as we press it through 

 the specimen. Never cut outwards as in sharpening 

 a pencil and never move the razor backwards and 

 forwards as though using a saw. The outward cut 

 will never result in a good section, a sawing move- 

 ment will give a section alternately thick and thin. 

 Should the section be somewhat tough we may find 

 the razor slip suddenly over its surface, an event 

 which will impress itself upon us painfully if we 

 have forgotten the injunction not to bend the 

 thumb, for the certain result of the slip will be the 

 loss of a goodly portion of skin upon one's joint. A 

 straight thumb will be out of the danger zone of a 

 slipping razor. 



Having cut a section it is hardly likely that, at 

 this our first attempt, it will be good enough to put 

 under the microscope, so we will continue to cut 

 section after section till we have a dozen or more 

 from these we can select the most transparent for 

 examination. The sections of such material as a 



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