700 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Preservation of Urinary Deposits.* * * § ' — Dr. Gumprecht first obtains a 
deposit with a centrifuge. This deposit is then placed in a saturated 
solution of sublimate and centrifuged again. It is then washed and 
preserved in a solution of formol (2 to 10 per cent.) If no red blood- 
corpuscles be present the sublimate stage may be omitted. If there be 
much albumen the deposit should be washed with normal saline solution. 
If there be urates the deposit should be washed with warm water or 
saturated solution of boric acid. If permanent preparations of the 
deposit be desired it is well to wash off the formol. Preserved in this 
way, the deposit can hardly be told from those of fresh specimens. 
Preserving Museum Specimens.! — Dr. 0. Kaiserling describes a 
process for preserving, and at the same time retaining the colour of 
museum specimens. The organ is placed for 24-36-18 hours in the 
following solution: — Formalin 750 ccm., distilled water 1000 ccm., 
nitrate of potash 10 grm., acetate of potash 30 grm. The specimen is 
then transferred to 80 per cent, alcohol for 12 hours, then for 2 hours 
to 95 per cent, alcohol, and is subsequently preserved in a mixture 
composed of equal parts of water and glycerin with the addition of 
30 parts of acetate of potash. 
Delicate tissues, such as intestine, are best kept in equal quantities 
of glycerin and water with the addition of 1 part of absolute alcohol to 
10 of the mixture. 
Disinfection with Formalin Vaponr.J — M. M. L. Vaillard and 
G. H. Lemoine found that formic aldehyde is a far superior disinfectant 
to atomised sublimate. It is extremely effective on all bacteria, but its 
action on spores is inconstant. For obtaining a quite certain effect, the 
vapour must be disengaged not only rapidly, but in large quantity. 
Owing to the fact that it polymerises rapidly, becoming converted into 
an inert body, formol must bo considered as a surface disinfectant ; 
from experiments this was found to be the case, for with infected articles 
lightly covered by it the deeper layers of dust were found to be unaffected 
by the antiseptic, even after prolonged exposure to its action. With 
this reservation, the authors think that as a disinfectant formol is of 
incontestable utility and certainly superior to sublimate spray. 
Experiments with Porcosan.§ — Dr. Deupser has made experiments 
with porcosan, a preparation which is advertised as being an infallible 
preventive of swine-fever. The fluid was tested in the usual way, the 
animals used for the purpose being mice, rabbits, and pigeons. As a 
preventive against swine-fever, porcosan was a complete failure. 
(6) Miscellaneous. 
Microscopical Examination of Meal.|) — It is possible, says Dr. 
Lange, to distinguish barley-meal from the flour of rye and wheat, 
owing to the fact that the first contains 2 to 4 per cent, of silica, while 
the two latter contain only small quantities. And as the silicated plant- 
* Centralbl. f. inn. Med, July 25, 1896. See Brit. Med. Journ., Epit.,i. (1896) 
p. 48. t Berliner Klin. Wochensehr., xxxiii. (1896) pp. 775-7. 
t Ann. Inst. Pasteur, x. (1896) pp. 481-7. 
§ Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parnsiienk., l te Abt., xx. (1896) pp. 421-8. 
|| Zeitschr. f. ang. Mikr , i. (1896) pp. 369-70. 
