42       Drug  Sections  jor  Microscopical  Examination.  {Am,/acS!yimarm^ 
NOTES  ON  THE  PREPARATION  OF  DRUG  SECTIONS 
FOR  MICROSCOPICAL  EXAMINATION.1 
By  F.  Ashley  Rogers,  Pharmaceutical  Chemist. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  great  majority  of  pharmaceutical  stu- 
dents of  botany  and  materia  niedica,  do  not  prepare  their  own  speci- 
mens for  the  microscope,  but  rely  upon  the  professional  rnicroscopist, 
who  is  not  always  a  botanist,  and  has  been  known  to  supply  the  aerial 
stem  labelled  root.  It  would  certainly  be  much  more  satisfactory  in 
every  respect  if  pharmaceutical  students  prepared  their  own  objects  in 
the  microscopical  study  of  materia  medica  and  structural  botany,  and 
I  trust  that  these  notes  will  show  the  simplicity  of  the  operations  and 
their  inexpensive  nature. 
We  may  occasionally  wish  to  prepare  sections  of  fresh  vegetable 
tissue.  These  cannot  be  cut  until  they  have  previously  been  hardened, 
which  is  accomplished  by  soaking  for  a  week  or  ten  days  in  pure 
methylated  spirit,  which  should  be  frequently  changed,  say  every 
twenty-four  hours,  until  no  color  comes  away  from  the  tissues.  They 
can  now  be  preserved  in  spirit,  and  are  always  ready  for  making  sec- 
tions. 
But  more  frequently  our  drugs  are  obtained  dry,  and  very  hard ; 
they  must  then  be  softened  by  soaking  in  water  with  a  little  methy- 
lated spirit,  or  even  soaking  in  hot  water,  or  in  a  three  per  cent,  solu- 
tion of  potash  (where  it  can  be  safely  done),  that  is  in  cases  in  which 
the  cell  contents,  being  injured,  unfit  the  section  for  examination. 
Sections  of  soft  stems,  ovaries,  etc.,  may  be  made  by  hand.  Take  the 
specimen  between  the  thumb  and  fore-finger  of  the  left  hand,  hold  the 
finger  horizontally  so  that  its  upper  surface  may  form  a  table,  on 
which  the  blade  of  a  razor  may  slide,  keep  the  handle  of  the  razor  in 
a  line  with  the  blade,  and  draw  it  from  heel  to  tip  through  the  speci- 
men and  towards  yourself;  keep  the  blade  well  wetted  with  very  di- 
lute spirit,  and  float  olf  the  sections  as  they  are  cut  into  a  saucer  of 
water. 
The  drug  specimen  is  however  frequently  too  hard  for  section  cut- 
ting, by  hand ;  it  is  then  necessary  to  use  a  microtome.  A  very  good 
one  is  that  invented  by  Mr.  Stirling.  This  is  simply  a  brass  well, 
into  which  fits  a  very  finely  cut  screw.    The  instrument  having  been 
1  Read  before  the  Chemists'  Assistants'  Association,  London,  Nov.  22,  re- 
printed from  Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Dec.  1. 
