396 PRACTICAL ANATOMY. 



of parts to their colour ; and in many such parts, instead of lessening 

 such distinction, it ought to be increased. Supposing a tongue to be 

 preserved for the interweaving of its muscular fibres (which is best seen 

 from colour), the colour should be heightened; therefore, instead of 

 being steeped in water, it ought to be steeped in a solution of nitre, 

 which gives a brightness to the blood in the muscles, and makes the 

 distinction between muscles and other parts more conspicuous. In a 

 section of the proboscis of an elephant, this treatment has a good effect. 



Preparations that are to be kept wet, and are steeped in water till all 

 the colour is extracted, and therefore become white in themselves, 

 shoidd be injected with a colour redder than vermilion ; for, if it is 

 not a very vascular part, the vermilion does not add so much to it as 

 some other reds do, and the part appears less vascular than it really is. 

 In very vascular parts, where nothing is seen but vessels, as the inner 

 surface of the stomach, &c, one would in those cases choose the colour 

 that pleases the eye most. 



Spirit, Sfc. — The liquors to be used should have one property in 

 common, that of preserving the preparation from putrefaction, and 

 should be transparent. Liquors should have different degrees of astrin- 

 geney. Some should be strong, so as to keep preparations in any form 

 that they are put into ; e. g. a bladder, when filled with spirit of wine 

 and let stand for some time, should not collapse when opened to show 

 its inside, but should retain its form ; and particularly such prepara- 

 tions as have been sent home in spirits without having had any 

 attention paid to their form : the second liquor for such should be as 

 astringent as possible. The best thing is the joining of acid to rectified 

 spirit of wine. 



Unless for such purposes as above, the liquors should have little or no 

 astringency ; as that prevents many parts being seen from their being 

 drawn together, prevents the natural softness of parts, coagulates the 

 serum which produces a whiteness, where you waut to show vessels of 

 different colours ; and it always produces a milkiness in the first liquor, 

 and a white sediment from a coagulation of the serum that is squeezed 

 out of the vessels, cavities, &c. 



The spirit of wine is the liquor commonly used. The strength of 

 the spirit must be according to the solidity and mass of the prepara- 

 tions ; as muscles, some gelatinous fish, &c. Eectified spirit of wine is 

 in general too strong, but some preparations require it, not for their 

 preservation, but for their position. 



Weak spirits may answer best in many cases, and one would natu- 

 rally suppose in most cases ; as, in most, only preservation is wanted. 

 But we find by experience that a weak spirit is slow in coagulating the 



