110 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES. 
The apparatus will be found extremely useful for staining tubercle 
bacilli, spores, and flagella. 
Staining the Malaria Parasite.* — Dr. Nocht states that neutral 
polychrome methylen-blue makes an effective addition to the ordinary 
double stain of eosin and methylen-blue for the malaria parasite. The 
staining solution is made by mixing 1 ccm. of neutral polychrome 
methylen-blue with an equal quantity of water, and then dropping in 
saturated aqueous solution of methylen-blue, until the solution is of 
a dark-blue colour. In a second capsule are mixed 3-4 drops of a 
1 per cent, aqueous solution of eosin, and 1-2 ccm. of water. To the 
latter the methylen-blue mixture is added drop by drop until the eosin 
solution has become quite dark blue. 
Method for Double Staining Flagellata, Fungi, and Bacteria.f — 
Dr. II. Ziemann finds that a satisfactory double staining can be effected 
in 20-40 minutes by using 1 part of 1 per cent, methylen-blue solution 
(Hochst) mixed with 5 to 6 parts of a 0*1 per cent, eosin solution (eosin 
A G or B A Hochst). By adding borax to the methylen-blue solution, 
the staining becomes more effective and rapid. Four different solutions 
are enumerated. (1) 1 part methylen-blue, 1 part borax, and 100 water ; 
(2) 2 parts borax ; (3) 2 • 5 parts borax ; (4) 4 parts borax. The first of 
these behaves very much in the same way as the solution without borax ; 
but the last three, w'hen mixed with 4 parts of 0 • 1 per cent, eosin solu- 
tion, impart a satisfactory staining in 5 minutes. If the preparations 
become overstained with blue, this can be easily reduced by means of 
0* 1 eosin solution. 
(5) Mounting-, including- Slides, Preservative Fluids, &c. 
Micro-Cements for Fluid Celis.J — In a note on this subject Mr. C. F. 
Kousselet, after mentioning the difficulty he has found in permanently 
sealing micro-cells containing a watery fluid, recommends the closing of 
cells containing dilute formalin as the preservative fluid ; first with a 
coat of cement made by mixing two-thirds of dammar in benzol and 
one-third of best gold size ; then three or four coats]of gold size (pure); 
and finally a coat of Ward’s brown cement. Clark’s spirit-proof cement, 
previously recommended, has failed to prevent the evaporation of watery 
fluid, -while for spirit mounts it as good as ever. 
* Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abb, xxiv. (1898) pp. 839-43. 
t Tom. cit., pp. 945-55 (1 pi.). 
X Joum. Quekett Micr. Club, vii. (1898) pp. 93-7. 
