154 
Current  Literature. 
5  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(  February,  1921. 
alcohol,  88  of  methyl  alcohol,  388  chloroform,  1675  of  carbon  di- 
sulphide,  192  of  ethylene  bromide,  140  of  ether,  and  35  of  boiling 
alcohol.  Optical  rotation  [a]  ^  =  58°.  It  can  be  titrated  with 
alkalies  as  well  as  with  acids.  The  formula  is  C29H4T0.  COOH, 
2H20.  It  yields  a  readily  crystalliable  methyl  ester.  (From 
Pharm.  Weekblad,  vol.  57,  p.  1128,  through  The  Pharm.  Jour,  and 
Pharmacist,  Oct.  30,  1920.) 
Staining  Reticulated  Cells. — Permanent  preparations  are 
made  by  Cunningham  by  combining  a  vital  with  a  Wright's  stain. 
The  reticulation  is  as  clear,  if  not  clearer,  than  by  the  older 
methods,  and  the  Wright's  stain  retains  all  its  differential  quali- 
ties, except  the  polychromatophilia,  which  is  not  present.  The 
ease  and  simplicity  of  this  method  brings  the  study  of  reticulated 
erythocytes  within  the  scope  of  routine  blood  examination.  A 
small  drop  of  a  0.3  or  0.5  per  cent,  aqueous  or  alcoholic  solution 
of  brilliant  cresyl  blue  is  placed  on  the  end  of  a  clean  slide  or  the 
center  of  a  cover  glass  and  smeared  around  over  an  area  1.5  cm. 
in  diameter.  Xext,  a  drop  of  fresh  blood  is  placed  on  a  clean 
coverslip  and  dropping  it  face  down  on  one  of  the  areas  of  dried 
stain.  The  stain  goes  into  solution  almost  instantly.  The  cover 
glasses,  or  slide  and  cover  glass,  are  now  pulled  apart  as  in  making 
an  ordinary  blood  smear  and  are  permitted  to  dry.  On  drying, 
the  blood  turns  a  dirty  greenish  blue  color.  The  slide  or  cover 
glass  is  then  stained  with  Wright's  blood  stain.  The  preparation 
is  dried  in  the  usual  manner  and  mounted  with  Canada  balsam. 
The  reticulum  is  stained  a  deep  or  light  blue,  depending  on  its 
density,  and  gives  a  striking  picture  in  its  contrast  with  the  pink 
protoplasm  of  the  cell.  (From  Archives  of  Internal  Medicine, 
Chicago,  through  Jour.  Amer.  Med.  Assoc.,  Nov.  13,  1920.) 
