RINGWORM 113 



4. Aniline oil. 



5. Xylol. This is not necessary unless the specimens are to 

 be kept permanently. 



6. Blotting-paper. 



7. Slides, cover-glasses, and balsam. 



Process. — Take a broken hair or stump from the edge of the 

 suspected area, and (in the case of a longer hair) cut oflf all the 

 free portion, except a piece about J inch long. The root and the 

 part of the shaft next to it are all that are to be examined. 

 Several of these hairs can be stained at the same time. 



Stain in a watch-glass full of stain, or on a slide, for a quarter 

 of an hour, or longer — the longer the better ; it is an advantage to 

 warm the stain gently, and it will penetrate better if the hairs 

 have been previously washed in ether, though this is not absolutely 

 necessary. 



Remove the hairs from the stain, and place them on a slide ; if 

 already on a slide, pour off the stain. Dry them with blotting- 

 paper, and pour on the iodine solution ; allow it to act for five or ten 

 minutes. It is an advantage to blot the specimen after a minute 

 or two, and apply a fresh lot of the solution. Blot thoroughly. 



Now decolorize in the solution of hydrochlorate of aniline in 

 aniline oil. This should be poured off and replaced occasionally, 

 and the specimen examined under a low power of the microscope. 

 The process may be hastened by warming to blood-heat. When 

 the decolorization appears to be complete (it may take many 

 hours in the cold), pour off the solution and replace it by aniline 

 oil; allow this to act for an hour or more, renewing it occasionally. 



If the specimen is not to be kept permanently it may now be 

 mounted in balsam and examined at once. If it is to be kept the 

 aniline oil must be washed out by several applications of xylol. 

 Mount in balsam. 



Adamson's method gives good results, but is somewhat more 

 tedious. 



Requisites. — i. Liquor potassae. 



2. Dilute alcohol — about 15 per cent. 



3. Aniline gentian violet or its substitutes. 



4. Gram's iodine solution. 



5. Aniline oil. 



6. Xylol. 



7. Blotting-paper. 



8. Slides, cover-glasses, and balsam. 



