688 SUMMAEY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Staining Elastic Fibres with Victoria Blue.* — Dr. L. Lustgarten states 

 that Victoria blue stains elastic fibres in the fresh condition if the prepara- 

 lions are hardened for 24 hours in chrom- osmic-acetic acid and then in spirit. 

 1-2 parts of an alcoholic solution of Victoria blue are mixed with four parts 

 of water. Then alcohol and bergamot oil. The hue is blue-green. 

 Nuclear staining is more successful with a watery solution, followed by 

 alcohol, bergamot oil, and xylol balsam. 



Staining Peziza Specimens.t — Mr. C. F. Fairman decolorizes the 

 Pezizse by soaking in a solution of corrosive sublimate (1 to 2000 aq. 

 dist.) ; then washing from precipitated calomel by agitation in distilled 

 water and macerating in 90 per cent, alcohol for twenty-four hours. For 

 immediate examination, lower for a few seconds in a strong hsematoxylin 

 solution, wash in distilled water, or if preferred, use the dilute haematoxylin 

 fluid. (See supra, p. 687.) 



Staining relations of Leprosy and Tubercle Bacilli.:}: — ^Dr. F. Wesener, 

 who has recently investigated the receptivity of these bacilli for anilin dyes 

 in order to ascertain if any crucial difference existed between these micro- 

 organisms, finds that a diagnosis between the two must be made from 

 several kinds of proof and not from one alone. With regard to the reaction 

 to the simple anilin solutions (Weigert's method) he found that methyl- 

 violet was more efficient than fuchsin for tubercle bacilli, but that such dis- 

 tinction did not hold good for leprosy bacilli ; nor did he find a minimum 

 time test of a satisfactory nature, although leprosy bacilli took up red dyes 

 rather quicker. Nor did the more complicated solutions (Koch's, Ehi-lich's, 

 Ziehl's methods) afford any satisfactory test. 



The author in view of the fact that a diagnosis must be made from 

 differences of degree, advises the following stains if the Elirlich method 

 has demonstrated the presence of bacilli, and it is desirable to ascertain if 

 the bacilli be those of leprosy or tubercle. 



(1) Methyl- violet (in concentrated watery or dilute alcoholic solution) 

 for twenty-four hours: decolorize in nitric acid. (2) Fuchsin as above. 

 (3) Baumgarten's methods. (4) Four to six minutes in a watery solution of 

 fuchsin : decolorize in alcohol. (5) The same with methyl-violet. 



Staining Differences of Leprosy and Tubercle Bacilli.§ — Prof. Baum- 

 garten controverts the statement of Dr. Wesener with regard to the re- 

 spective receptivity of leprosy and tubercle bacilli for anilin stains. By 

 using a dilute solution of fuchsin and immersing the sections for 12-15 

 minutes, and then decolorizing in nitric acid (1-10) with after-staining in 

 methylen-blue for 2-3 minutes and dehydration in absolute alcohol 3-4 

 minutes, the leprosy bacilli show red, the tubercle bacilli are unstained. 

 Or the sections may be stained in the Ehrlich fuchsin for 2-3 minutes 

 with subsequent procedure as above. Cover-glass preparations give analogous 

 results, for leprosy bacilli will stain in 6-7 minutes in a cold dilute alcoholic 

 solution of fuchsin, but tubercle bacilli will not. Yet Prof. Baumgarten 

 would not rely alone on colour reaction — the point at issue, by the way — 

 but would also take into consideration the position and arrangement of the 

 microbes and verify the results by inoculation experiments. 



Decoloration of Bacteria stained with Anilin dyes.|l — Dr. A. Spina, 

 starting from the observation that cotton fibre treated with tannin as a mor- 



* Medicin. Jahib. K. Gfsell. der Aerzte zu Wien, 1886, pp. 285-91 (1 pi.). 



t Bot. Gazette, xii. (1887) p. 85. 



: CfDtralbl. f. Biicleriol. u. Pi.ra.sitenk., i (1887) pp. 450-6. 



§ Ibid., pp. 573-6. || Allg. Wien. Med. Ztg., 1887, Nos. 15 and 16. 



