1898.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 225 



SCiENCE-GOSSIP. 



Decaying Pine Wood. — J. S Dales reports a peculiar 

 condition in a tree box. The decayed portion did not 

 present the usual dull, dark, shrunken appearance 

 common to rotten wood. Above the line of moisture, it 

 was of brig-ht, buff color, g-lossy and velvety to the touch 

 but, upon slig-ht pressure it crumpled into powder leaving- 

 a small mass of coarse and hard wood-fibers. Micros- 

 copic examination revealed a dark intersticial fung-us and 

 a g-reat abundance of minute spore-like bodies which 

 resisted many of the usual staining- fluids. 



Nucleo-albumin. — For ansemia. Dr. E. D. Klots, 156 

 W. 48th street. New York, has g-iven haemaboloids, half 

 an ounce four times per day, with the result of increasing- 

 the haemag-lobin in two months from 41 to 69 per cent, the 

 red blood-copuscles in ratio of 198 to 364 with a corres- 

 ponding- return of health. In another case the haemag-lo- 

 bin increased from 38 to 63 per cent and the red blood 

 copuscles in ratio of 164 to 341. Photomicrog-raphs of he 

 blood before and after treatment are shown in the N. Y. 

 Med. Jour, of Nov. 12, 1898. 



Circulation of Blood. — The standard method of examin- 

 ing- the circulation is that of extending- on a frog--plate the 

 web between the toes of a frog-'s foot. As, however, most 

 amateur microscopists find it difficult to obtain a frog- 

 when they require one, it mig-ht be of advantag-e to some 

 of them to know that the tadpoles of the common frog- 

 form excellent substitutes during- their embryonic state, 

 and that in the thin expansion of the tail the circulation is 

 exhibited to perfection. These tadpoles are easily ob- 

 tained in almost any district, and may be kept in a small 

 aquarium or fish g-lobe, where they will be, handy when re- 

 quired. The method of examination is verysimple. The 

 tadpole is caug-ht and transferred to an ordinary slide, and 

 a lump of loose wet cotton-wool is placed over it, holding- it 

 down fast to the slide, and leaving- the tail free for observa- 

 tion. If there is any tendency to curl the tail up on to the 



