326 General Notes. (March, 
sections in the solution from two to five minutes. A solution of 
equal carmin strength but in absolute alcohol can be employed; 
it has, however, no special advantages, since with the eighty per 
cent alcoholic solution the sections can be washed directly in 
absolute alcohol, and then put into oil of cloves or turpentin 
Coloring in the piece before sectioning never takes as long with 
alcoholic carminic acid as it does with ordinary carmin solutions, 
and if it did take long the strong alcohol would preserve the tissue 
from maceration. In coloring pieces of mollusca, or of other 
equaily slimy animals, the slime should be removed beforehand 
or the coloration will be unsatisfactory, because the slime con- 
gealing in the alcohol takes up the coloring matter, forming at 
almost impervious colored layer on the outside and leaving the 
inside of the piece nearly uncolored. ae. ie 
Some preparations colored in alcoholic carminic acid and then 
put up in glycerin lost their color in a few months, the color set 
ing to be entirely diffused in the glycerin, while similar ior | | 
tions mounted in Canada balsam retained their color pee Ny | 
do not know if this fading would occur with Pee difusita "a 
with alcoholic ammonic carminate, or even if this | rahi 
not due to some impurity of the glycerin (of the purity 0 w 
was doubtful); time to testthis matter further failed. an 
n alcoholic ammonic carminate, or ammonia carea 
prepared, at a moment’s notice, from alcoholic a w 
adding ammonia, drop by drop, and stirring until the y a 
tion changes from its bright red to purple red. nies 
pure alcoholic ammonic carminate can be produces e] 
of ammonia, and at any time. As the carminic aci a yi A 
served dry without decomposition, and die ie 
alcohol, one can carry the ingredients of a carmine solu 1S 
vest pocket, without inconvenience. ey | 
making and using alcoholic carminic acid pure alcohol 
distilled water give the best results, because a po of impu 
minic acid is converted to carminates by the this precautiot 
- water. In making alcoholic ammonic carminate.t ie produc 
is not as necessary, because the color of the ape p ammo 
by the impurities of the water is so nearly like tha ae 
carminate. l acher’s ca 
Alcoholic carminic acid may be used, as Gn joration 8? 
solution is used, to color sections from which ge pet ploric a0% 
be afterwards partly extracted by very dilute | yeations wie 
leaving nuclei red. Another way to use carmin g is to Pee 
is especially applicable to alcoholic carminic aci“, minate o | 
tate the carmin in the tissues by some salt, the pari found, # 
base of which gives a desired coloration. I aidi the cot 
example, that specimens hardened for a momen ae ME 
glass with an alcoholic solution of corrosive SU a ‘in alcohol l 
chloride) and, after washing with alcohol, cotor af 
