86 THE WOMBAT. 



FORMALIN AS A GENERAL 

 PRESERVATIVE FOR ANIMAL AND 

 VEGETABLE STRUCTURES.* 



By O. A. Sayce. 



Of late years formalin, or formol, as it is sometimes called 

 has won a position of eminence among preservatives of animal 

 and vegetable structures, and it is with the desire of making 

 it known amongst the members of our club that these remarks 

 are made. 



As field naturalists we all recognize the importance of 

 preserving what we may collect in as natural a condition as 

 possible, but let me emphasize the need to preserve, not alone 

 a specimen's general appearance, but its anatomical and 

 histological structure, and to do this it is of the utmost im- 

 portance to treat the specimen as quickly as possible after its 

 death, and so avoid post-mortem changes, which so soon take 

 place ; for should we, or any specialist we may pass our 

 specimen on to, have to submit any part to microscopical 

 examination, it is in the highest degree important that the 

 structure should have been faithfully preserved. For this to 

 be done the specimens have to be treated frequently in the 

 field, for there are comparatively few objects we can 

 convenient^ carry home alive. We have many chemical 

 solutions that are satisfactory in this respect for special 

 and laboratory work, but are impracticable for general field 

 work. For instance, for the earthworm and soft-bodied 

 animals we have picro-sulphuric acid, but this will not 

 do for vertebrates, as it swells the ceils ; nor will it do for 

 mollusca, as it attacks the lime of the shell. There is 

 corrosive sublimate in solution, but this is a violent poison, 

 which alone makes it unsafe to use in the field ; also, animals 

 left too long in it become very brittle. There are chromic 

 acid and its salts in various strengths, and others. 



*Victorian Naturalist, December, 1895. 



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