84 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Staining* * * § Gonococcus by Gram’s Method.* — Dr. A. Hijmans van den 
Bergh states that, contrary to the general and received opinion, gono- 
coccus can be perfectly well stained by Gram’s method, provided the 
anilin-oil-gentian- violet be strong (5-10 percent, of a saturated alcoholic 
solution of gentian-violet), and the absolute alcohol be not allowed to 
act for more than 30 seconds. 
Gram’s Method.f — Prof. P. Ernst directs attention to the great value 
of Gram’s method in the study of horny structures, or rather of struc- 
tures which are in process of becoming horny. He has studied a great 
variety of these, and shows that Gram’s method — almost unapplied 
hitherto in this direction — is invaluable in differentiating the elements 
which introduce cornification. 
Method for Contrast Staining in Bacteriological Work.}: — Herr 
Knaak stains the preparations with dilute aqueous metliylen-blue solu- 
tion, and tben, after washing in water, dries them. The contrast 
staining is made by treating the preparation with aqueous solution (0*1) 
for a minute to a minute and a half. The tissue is pale red, the nuclei 
darker, and the bacteria blue. 
Staining Anthrax Cells in Blood.§ — Herr Marpmann prepares the 
blood-film on cover-glasses in the usual way, and after drying and fixing 
stains it by Gram’s method. The preparation is then washed with a 
solution of 0*5 grm. eosin in 100 ccm. of absolute alcohol. It is at 
once mopped up on blotting-paper and dried. 
Sterilising of Syringes by Boiling. !| — Herr J. Hofmeister observed 
that common leather which had been immersed fcr 24 hours in 2-4 per 
cent, formalin solution could be boiled in water without impairment of 
any of its qualities, and devised therefrom a method for sterilising 
syringes. Only such syringes as are made of glass, metal, and leather 
are suitable for this procedure, the parts being screwed on and not con- 
nected with cement or the like. The piston and washer are to be 
removed and freed from fat by means of ether or petroleum-ether, after 
which they are to be immersed in 2-4 per cent, formalin for 24-48 
hours. The formalin must then be carefully removed by prolonged 
washing with water. The parts of the syringe having been connected, 
the instrument is then ready for boiling ; but before this is done, the 
air must be removed entirely by driving it out with water. 
The formalin treatment should be repeated from time to time. 
(6) Miscellaneous. 
Adhesive Material for Labels on Glass.1T — Labels stuck on glass 
often strip off, says Herr Marpmann. This inconvenience may be avoided 
by means of the following adhesive : — 120 grm. of gum arabic are to be 
dissolved in a quarter of a litre of water, and 30 grm. of powdered gum 
* Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xx. (1896) pp. 785-92. 
t Arch. f. Mikr. Anat., xlvii. (1896) pp. 669-706 (2 pis.). 
X Deutsche Med. Wochenschr., 1896, No. 34. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. 
Parasitenk., 2 te Abt., ii. (1896) p. 622. 
§ Zeitschr. f. ang. Mikr., ii. (1896) pp. 193-6. 
|| Centralbl. f. Chirurgie, 1896, No. 27. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasit., 
l ,e Abt., xx. (1896) pp. 779-80. f Zeitschr. f. ang. Mikr., ii. (1896) p. 151. 
