72 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
HOW TO MOUNT MICROSCOPIC OBJECTS.* 
W HEN we say that a second edition of Davies’ excellent little book is 
now before us, we shall doubtless gladden not a few of our histo- 
logical readers ; and when we add further that the second edition is brought 
out by the well-known inventor of Dr. Matthews’s “ Turn-Table,” we shall 
satisfy all of the soundness of the best and cheapest work, which should be 
on the table of every student, we care not whether he is a tyro or is accom- 
plished in the art of mounting. We would, with pleasure, if we were per- 
mitted, quote pages of this handy little volume, but we can point to a few 
of the many novelties which the present edition possesses over its predecessor. 
It is a wonderful book, from its being as useful to the purely medical man 
as to the naturalist ; and as an illustration of this, we may mention that it 
contains, besides much other matter on the same subject, both Dr. Beale’s 
and Dr. Klein’s opinions on the subject of mounting nerve. Both use 
chloride of gold in staining the nerve, but the systems which the two adopt 
are somewhat opposite. However, the reader must see the difference in the 
book itself. The author’s observations on the mounting of bone are of 
interest, and among other quotations is one from Dr. Beale, which directs 
the bone to be by no means ground, as that fills up the lacunae and cana- 
liculi. Mr. Parker’s views on the question of the use of paraffin for em- 
bedding objects are also cited, from which we learn that it is useful to melt 
down ordinary paraffin candles, with a very small amount of paraffin oil, in 
order to make the mass more .readily cut. We note, too, the introduction 
of some observations by Mr. Suffolk on the ether method of drying tissues, 
which are of considerable value. Mr. Davies’ mode of obtaining the scrap- 
ings from various sounding-leads is, too, of importance, as likewise is Mr. 
McIntyre’s — and no one could tell us better — mode of collecting the scales 
of certain insects. We think the author of the present edition might have 
given us a little more information on the subject of blood ; and we observe 
that he has allowed the old references to the “ Microscopical Journal ” to 
remain unchanged, so that the reader of the book is absolutely unable to tell 
whether the “Quarterly” or “Monthly” is intended. But these are very 
slight complaints to have to make, and tout entier we are heartily pleased 
with Dr. Matthews’s labours. 
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY. f 
T O those students of science — and we fancj r that they are unfortunately few 
in number — who are capable of conceiving of the important questions 
anent the conservation of the mysterious and wondrous thing energy or force, 
* “ The Preparation and Mounting of Microscopic Objects.” By Thomas 
Davies. 2nd Edition, greatly enlarged. By John Matthews, M.D., F.R.M.S. 
London : Hardwicke, 1873. 
t “The Conservation of Energy: being an Elementary Treatise on 
Energy and its Laws.” By Balfour Stewart, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S., Pro- 
fessor of Natural Philosophy in Owens College, Manchester. London: 
King & Co., 1873. 
