1891.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 257 



TECHNIQUE. 



Staining Bacillus of Glanders. — Heir E. Noniewicz advises a 

 combination of Loffler's and Unna's methods for staining B. 77iallei. 

 Tlie procedure, wliich is stated to give excellent results, is as follows : 

 The sections are transferred from alcohol to Loffler's methylen-blue so- 

 lution (caustic potash i : 10,000). They are then washed in distilled 

 water and placed in the decolorizing fluid (75 parts \ per cent, acetic 

 acid and 25 parts \ per cent, watery tropsolin O O). The time for 

 decolorizing depends on the thickness of the sections, the thick' ones 

 requiring from 2 to 5 seconds, the thin ones much less. The prepara- 

 tions are then thoroughly washed in distilled water ; this removes the 

 acetic acid and a good deal of the stain. The sections are then put on 

 a slide, and the water having been removed with blotting-paper, are 

 dried in the air or over a spirit-lamp. Xylol is then dropped on and 

 allowed to remain till the section is quite clear. They may now be 

 examined or mounted in balsam. Oil of cloves, origanum oil, and 

 anilin oil are not to be used. In this way the glanders bacilli are 

 stained almost black, while the tissue is bluish. — Detitsch Zeiischr., 

 f. T/iiei'ined. u. V^ergleich^ Pathol. 



Staining Pathogenic Fungus of Malaria. — Surgeon J. Fenton 

 Evans has found it possible to stain the organisms of malaria with 

 an anilized alkalized solution of rosanilin hydrochloride after treat- 

 ment with bichromate of potash, and after treatment with dilute sul- 

 phuric acid by an anilinized alkalized solution ot Weigert's acid 

 fuchsin. Another method is the saturation of the tissue with a copper 

 salt, and its reduction by sulphuretted hydrogen previous to coloration 

 with anilinized alkalized acid fuchsin. — Proc. Royal Soc. London., 

 iSgi. 



Characteristics of Some Anilin Dyes — Dr. C. Vinassa, in a 

 contribution to " Pharmacognostic Microscopy," published in Zeitschr. 

 f. Wiss. Mikr., via., p. J4-^o^ iSgi., communicates the result of a num- 

 ber of experiments made with fifty-one difierent anilin pigments. 

 These results are displayed in two tables. In the first are noticed the 

 behavior to acids and alkalies, and the stain imparted to the micro- 

 scopical preparation. Some of the dyes showed a capacity for double 

 staining, the "most notable of these being "Solidgriin" and " Delta- 

 purpurin." By these the vessels were stained green and the parenchyma 

 red. 



Many other useful staining qualities and characteristics may be 

 gathered from a perusal of the table, but for these the original must be 

 consulted. Table 2 gives the chemical derivation, the peculiar micro- 

 scopical stainings of the various tissue-elements, and the behavior as 

 dyes to certain commercial products, such as silk, wool, etc. 



Method of Observing Pectinatella Gelatinosa. — Mr. A. Oka 

 states that this poh'zoon is remarkable for the ease with which it can 

 be killed in an expanded condition. When 70 per cent, alcohol is 

 gradually poured into a vessel containing the colonies, more than half 

 the poly})ides die protruded. With such i^eagents as chloral hydrate or 

 cocain chloro-hydrate every polypide dies expanded. Some colonies 

 were fixed with a saturated solution of corrosive sublimate or a w^eak 



