152 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [July, 



large one, like the oesophagus, and is to be studied for a considerable 

 time, the action of the acid may be checked by transferring the speci- 

 men from water to a saturated aqueous solution of alum. In this the 

 specimen may remain for several days, or even two weeks, in a cool 

 place without marked deterioration. The fibres are treated as under 6, 

 or the fibres may be stained quite successfully with hajmatoxylin, and 

 may then be mounted in any way desired. 



9. If one cares only for the general structure of a muscular fibre, not 

 caring for the length and relations, as in ordinary laboratory work, the 

 muscle should be prepared as above in 4 and 5, washed with water, 

 when tiie fibres separate easily, then transfer to a saturated solution of 

 alum and allow to remain a day or two more. Then the fibres may 

 be successfully stained with aqueous hjEmatoxylin, mounted in glycer- 

 ine, glycerine jelly, or Canada balsam, etc. If it is desired to preserve 

 for future use a large amount of this dissociated material, it may be 

 placed in 40 per cent, glycerine or 40 per cent, alcohol from the alum 

 water, and stained and mounted at any time ; or the fibres may be 

 shaken in a bottle of alum water till they are separated, then stained 

 with hiematoxylin and preserved e7i masse in 40 per cent, glycerine. 

 This is a very convenient method for a large laboratory. Then a small 

 amount of the dissociated material can be given to students as they are 

 ready for it, and they can mount the fibres in glycerine jelly or in 

 balsam. 



10. For muscular fibre cells (smooth and unstriated muscle) the 

 muscular coat of the stomach, or any other organ composed mostly of 

 muscular fibre cells, may be placed in the 20 per cent, nitric acid till 

 the intercellular connective tissue and cell cement are sufficiently soft- 

 ened to allow the cells to be shaken apart. The acid is then washed 

 away with water. Alum solution is added, in which the cells are 

 shaken apart. After twenty-four hours or more the alum is poured off 

 and the cells stained with hematoxylin or alum carmine. After wash- 

 ing away the staining fluid with water the cells may be mounted in 

 glycerine or glycerine jelly. 



The Business ^Al^oman's Journal. — In this journal for June are 

 two new departments. One of these, in the interest of teachers, is 

 edited by Mrs. May Wright Sewall, of Indianapolis. This lady in her 

 first editorial gives the public to understand that the Business IVo- 

 jp/a/i's Jo?/rfia/ intends to make a strong fight for the payment to women 

 teachers of salaries equal to those which are received by men. The 

 other new department is under the editorial management of Mrs. Es- 

 telle M. H. Merrill (" Jean Kincaid " of the Boston G/ode), and is to 

 be devoted to the interests of journalists. In the article entitled 

 "■ Women in Journalism," Mrs. Merrill criticises very severely the ar- 

 ticles published in the daily papers under the departments devoted to 

 the interests of women. 



^A/^hite's Objects. — Many of tliem are worth five to ten times their 

 cost. — H. L. Tolman, Chicago, 111. 



I am greatly pleased with them. How you can aftbrd to sell them 

 at such a marvellously low price is a mystery to me. I sliall gladly 

 recommend them. — G. H. Hicks, Owassa, Mich. 



