146 



SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Fig. 30. 



a siphon to protect against dust. At 1 • 5 cm. from the base of the 

 box is an oven (D) *7 cm. high, and 12 cm. long, which passes 

 completely through the box, and serves for warming the slides when 

 shellac is used. Above are two circular basin-like pits (P) 5 • 5 cm. 

 in diameter, and 4 cm. deep, for receiving the 

 two tin paraffin holders. These are covered by 

 circular plates of glass. There are also six 

 tubular pits, one for a thermometer (T), the 

 other for glass tubes. 



This water bath will be found useful for 

 other purj)oses than those of imbedding and 

 mounting. It will of course be understood 

 that the only object of giving its exact dimen- 

 sions is to furnish a guide where one is 

 required. There are at least two important 

 advantages offered by this water bath over 

 those in general use, viz. the slides are pro- 

 tected from dust, and the paraffin is not ex- 

 posed to the water. 



Packing Slides for Travelling. — Mr. L. 

 Dreyfus describes the mode in which he 

 transported from London to Wiesbaden his 

 collection of over 5000 preparations without 

 a single breakage : — 



" I used no wadding whatever, but packed 

 the whole in racked boxes, and over the ends of the slides in the 

 racks only, I put, with the handle of my scalpel, on each side a length 

 of the smallest indiarubber tubing, such as is used for feeding-bottles. 

 When the slides were so packed, two more lengths on the top, under 

 the lid, before the latter was fastened down by two of the stoutest 

 indiarubber bands across the box in both directions (sides and bottom.) 

 This allowed so much spring in every direction that no breakage 

 occurred, although I have no doubt the heavy cases were handled in 

 the usual delicate way by railway porters and sailors on board the 

 steamer. 



Besides minimizing the risk of breakage, this style of packing 

 has the advantage of being very easy and expeditious in packing and 

 unpacking, and perfectly clean. The preparations come out as clean 

 as they were packed, and can be packed into the cabinets without the 

 tedious wiping required after the use of cotton wool. Tubes and 

 rings can be used over and over again, so that the extra expense is 

 very small." 



Examination of Living Germs in Water.* — At a recent meeting 

 of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, Dr. E. Angus 

 Smith stated that Dr. Koch, of Berlin, advocated the use of gelatine 

 in preserving indications of organic vitality. About 2h per cent. 

 of gelatine, well heated in a little water, is mixed with the water to 

 be tested, and the mixture forms a transparent mass, in which 



* Chem. News, xlvi. (1882) pp. 288-90. 



