ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
603 
Staining the Mucus-cells of Malvaceae.* — Herr A. Nestler used 
Bohmer’s haematoxylin for demonstrating mucus, the mucus-cells being 
stained blue. Alcoholic solution and Loeffler’s solution of metliylen-blue 
also stained the mucus-cells blue. With Meyer’s reagent a similar result 
was obtained. The sections from material taken from alcohol were 
placed in 25 per cent, solution of copper sulphate, washed with dis- 
tilled water, and treated with 50 per cent, caustic potash. The mucus 
in Malvaceae swells up in copper-ammonium oxide and becomes pale blue. 
With tincture of iodine and iodopotassic iodide there is no reaction ; 
with alcoholic solution of safranin it turns orange, and with tincture of 
alkanna steel-blue. 
Diagnostic Stain for the Diphtheria Bacillus.f — Dr. R. T. Hewlett 
communicates Neisser’s differential method for staining the diphtheria 
bacillus, (i.) One grm. of methylcn-blue is dissolved in 20 ccm. of 96 
per cent, alcohol and mixed with 950 ccm. of distilled water and 50 ccm. 
of glacial acetic acid, (ii.) ’Two grm. of benzoin are dissolved in 1000 
ccm. of boiling distilled water, and the solution filtered. Cover-glass 
films from fresh serum cultures are stained in No. i. for 1-3 seconds, 
rinsed in water, counter-stained in No. ii. for 3-5 seconds, washed, dried, 
and mounted in balsam. Thus treated, the diphtheria bacillus shows as 
a brown-stained rodlet containing dark blue granules, usually polar, 
but occasionally with one at the middle of the rod. 
The method is not so successful with swabbings directly from the 
throat, but with fresh membrane it affords a rapid means for positive 
diagnosis. 
(5) Mounting-, including- Slides, Preservative Fluids, &c. 
Mounted Specimens— a New Departure. — Mr. C. Baker, of 244 High 
Holborn, proposes during the ensuing season, should the project receive 
sufficient support, starting a department for lending specimens, much 
on the same lines as a lending library. Should the undertaking prove 
a success, Mr. Baker has arranged for the subscription to include 
postage both ways, as detailed below. The annual subscription will be 
ll. Is., payable in advance. For this sum each subscriber will have the 
right of borrowing some 250 specimens in 12 deliveries; that is to say, 
24 slides posted monthly for the year, or the same number of slides 
posted each fortnight for the winter months only. In order to save 
subscribers as much trouble as possible, it is proposed to send the speci- 
mens in special boxes with double wrappings, the inner one of which 
will be stamped and addressed for return, so that the subscriber has 
only to re-wrap the parcel and post it. Should sufficient subscribers 
send in their names, steps will at once be taken to compile a catalogue 
especially for this department, so that subscribers may choose as far as 
possible the specimens they wish to see. This, however, would not be 
possible until the undertaking were an assured success. 
Those desiring to subscribe should communicate at once with 
Mr. C. Baker, Optical Warehouse, 244 High Holborn, London, W.C. 
* Oesterr. Bot. Zeifschr., xlviii. (1898) p. 94. Cf. this Journal, ante , p. 440. 
f Brit. Med. Journ., 1898, ii. p. 599; and also Zeitsclir. f. Hvg., xxiv. (1897) 
p. 443. 
