691 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Bodium hyposulphite are added. The sections are decolorised in a few 
minutes, but the solution may be allowed to act for 2-4 hours. 
The sections are next washed once or twice in water, and then"im- 
mersed in a saturated aqueous solution of chromogen (chromogen is a 
naphthalin derivative, the acid sodium salt of 3-6 disulphoacid of 1-8 
dioxynaphthalin). In this solution, which is prepared by filtering a 
5 per cent, solution of chromogen, the sections remain all night or 
longer. After washing once or twice in water the sections are ready to 
be stained. If the staining cannot be carried out at once, the sections 
must be kept in acid-alcohol (90 ccm. of 80 per cent. C 2 H 6 0 plus 10 ccm. 
of 5 per cent, oxalic acid). 
The rest of the procedure must be carried out on the slide. The 
staining solution is dropped on, this is immediately followed by iodine 
solution. The section is at once washed and then treated for 15-30 or 
more minutes with anilin-oil-xylol. The last fluid is carefully removed 
by means of xylol before mounting in xylol-balsam. 
The staining solution is composed of 100 ccm. of an alcoholic^solution 
of methyl-violet and 5 ccm. of a 5 per cent, aqueous solution of oxalic 
acid. The iodine solution is made of a saturated solution of iodine in 
5 per cent, iodide of potassium solution. The anilin oil solution is 
composed of two parts of anilin oil to one part of xylol. 
Prepared and stained by this method the neuroglia fibres are blue, 
while the connective-tissue elements are colourless. The plasma of the 
nerve-cells is brownish-yellow. 
Rapid and Convenient Method of Preparing Malarial Blood-Films.* 
— Dr. P. Manson has devised the following elegant method for preparing 
blood-films. Well-cleaned slides are placed in rows on a table near the 
patient. Three or four oblong slips of fine tissue-paper*lj by 5/8 in. 
are also prepared. The droplet of blood, about 1/16 in. in diameter, is 
then taken up by touching it with one of the papers about l/2*in. from 
the end of the paper. The charged surface is then placed upon a slido 
rather towards one end. When the blood has run out .into a film, but 
not before, the paper is drawn along the surface of the glass. The 
same paper is usually sufficient for several glasses, and when exhausted 
should be recharged. In this way 50-60 films may be prepared in 
5 or 6 minutes. Labels may then be attached and the slides stored 
away. Before proceeding to stain, the blood is fixed by dropping a 
little absolute alcohol on the films. After drying they are stained with 
borax 5 per cent., methylen-blue 1/2 per cent., for about half a minute. 
They are then washed and dried, and mounted in balsam. 
Examination of Sputum in Sections.^ — According to Herr A. 
Schmidt, sputum is best examined in sections. Lumps of sputum are 
fixed in sublimate and further hardened in alcohol of increasing strength. 
The material may then be imbedded in paraffin or celloidin. Staining 
is best performed on the slide. 
Cursclimann’s spirals are easily found and studied by this method. 
In the sputum of asthmatics eosinopbilous cells are frequently met 
with, while in the expectoration of pneumonia their occurrence is rare. 
* Brit. Med. Journ., 1896, ii. p. 122. 
t D. A. Ztg. See Zeitschr. f. ang. Mikr., ii. (1896) p. 115. 
