234 NORMAL HISTOLOGY. 



Sections of the NaiL A nail should be separated from 

 a finger which has been hardened in alcohol, together 

 with as much as possible of the connective tissue which 

 binds it to the bone. It is imbedded by the colloidin- 

 paraffin method (seepage 17); and transverse sections 

 are made through the entire nail. The paraffin is re- 

 moved from the sections by soaking them in turpentine ; 

 this is removed with alcohol, and the sections then 

 stained double and mounted in balsam. 



Sections of Skin from the Finger-tips. This is prepared 

 like the skin, and will show the thick layer of epidermis- 

 cells with the stratum lucidum, the tortuous course of 

 the sweat-gland ducts through the epidermis. In this 

 preparation the ovoidal tactile corpuscles may be seen 

 lying in some of the papillae, and if the subcutaneous 

 tissue has been included in the section to a considerable 

 depth, transverse or longitudinal sections of a Pacinian 

 body may be found. 



Sections of Hairs from Skin of Scalp. A piece of skin 

 from the scalp of an adult is stretched on a bit of sheet 

 cork and hardened in Muller's fluid. After imbedding 

 thoroughly in celloidin, sections are made as nearly as 

 possible in the direction of the hair-follicles. They are 

 stained double and mounted in balsam. 



Sections are also made at right angles to the hair-fol- 

 licles, stained for twenty-four hours in a one-per-cent. 

 aqueous solution of methyl green, and then dehydrated 

 in the usual way in eosin alcohol and mounted in balsam. 

 By this method a very brilliant differentiation in color 

 in the layers of the inner root-sheath may be obtained. 



