1140 General Notes, 
MICROSCOPY .! 
THE Process or STAINING Sections SIMPLIFIED BY MIXING 
THE STAINING FLUIDS WITH TurPentine.—<According to Dr. 
Kikenthal’s experiments, a large number of coloring substances 
admit of being mixed with turpentine, 'and serial sections may be 
stained in a short time by such a combination. Methyl-green, 
methyl-blue, gentian-violet, safranin, Bismarck-brown, eosin, fuch- 
sin, tropæolin, and malachite-green may be used in this way. 
e dry coloring substance is dissolved in absolute alcohol, and 
the solution dropped into turpentine until the mixture has any 
intensity of color desired. 
Meyer's? Carmine Solution. 
A bulut BIGOUI OL oi. cosa ges ssccinesecs atio stirea saverceedrccunsy 100 ce. 
Pulverized carmine 3 gr. 
Hydrochloric acid (neutralized with ammonia)... 25 drops 
Can be united with a mixture of turpentine and absolute alcohol [in 
equal parts ?], and in this form used for staining sections. ; 
The method of using these stains is very simple. The sections 
are fastened to the slide by Schällibaum’s collodion, then left in 
the oven of the water-bath until the clove oil has been completely 
iven off. e paraffine is next removed by washing in turpen- 
tine, and' then the slide is immersed in the staining mixture. As 
soon as the desired depth of stain has been received, the sectiọns 
may be washed in pure turpentine and mounted in balsam. 
_If the stain is too deep, or a sharp nuclear stain is desired, it 18 
only necessary to leave the slide a short time in a mixture of tur- 
pentine and pure (free from any trace of acid) absolute alcohol, and 
the color will be reduced. 
The coloring mixture may become cloudy, as the result of the 
evaporation of the alcohol ; in such an event, the addition of a dro 
or two of alcohol generally suffices to clear the mixture. ie 
This method enables one to use easily several stains in succession. 
Objects may also be colored, in toto, with the advantage that the 
process of staining can be followed and easily controlled. 
' Edited by C. O. Whitman, Director of the Lake Laboratory, Mil” 
waukee. 
_* The carmine is boiled in the alcohol, and then the acid added. The 
solution is then filtered, hot, and enough ammonia added to neutralize. 
After filtering again the solution is mixed with turpentine and absolute — 
ee > ol. 
8 Zeitschr. f. wiss. Mikroskopie, iv., 3, p. 345, 1887. 
