Answers to Correspondents from Studies in Microscopical Science Vol. I.
Many of the numbers (in fact most) had an 'Answers to Correspondents' section. Many of the correspondents may be identifiable. Only a limited attempt at this has been made.
No. 2. May 13th 1882
PATHOLOGIST.-No. We have no intention to take up your subject, although there may be plenty of room for a journal such as you suggest.
CELL STAINING.-Use a half per cent. Solution of Gold Chloride, letting the sections remain in for an hour and-a-half. Your sections must be very thin and evenly cut.
H.B.R.-Much obliged for the hint, which you will see has been adopted in this issue.
CAMBRIDGE.-We are open to all feasible suggestions, and if you will send up your list of desiderata we will give it our best attention. Bone is our next subject.
No. 3. May 20th 1882
J.D.-Dr. Marsh on section cutting, published by Churchill, price 2/6, is a handy little book for those who wish to begin to cut their own sections.
No. 4. May 27th 1882
J.E.A.-Some microscopists use clean filter paper, others the back of the left hand, when wanting to drain the alcohol from a section, previous to placing in oil of cloves, but we find that paper fibres from the one, and epithelium from the other, are apt to cling to the section, and one's conclusions become vitiated in consequence. We advise you to use a clean glass slip, free from dust, and gently touch it with the section, when the alcohol will leave the section, and spread over the surface of the slip.
L.C.-We cannot undertake to reply by letter, and the information you require will shortly appear in this journal.
J.H.-Unsoftened sections of bone may be successfully mounted in Canada balsam or dammar solution, and exhibit their canaliculi very clearly if they coated with a thin film of strong clean gum previous to being placed in those reagents. A film of collodion may also be used in place of the gum.
No. 6. June 10th 1882
W. James.-Yes. Send up your specimen, and we will report on it in an early number.
J.C.-Soften the bone first by soaking it (until quite pliant), in a weak solution of hydrochloric acid.
P.M.-Use the thinnest possible cover glass, and take care when putting on the clip not to break it. Try the staining solution again, and then place in a half per cent. solution of hydrochloric acid, until the colour changes, when rinse it in fresh distilled water. Change from water to alcohol, and finish in the usual way.
No. 8. July 1st 1882
ALGA.-In sealing preparations mounted in Glycerine, use a mixture of gold size and litharge; just enough of the latter should be added to enable the fluid cement to flow freely from the brush. Two or three coats should be given.
W.W.W.-We refer you to page 40 of this journal. There you will notice that we recommend carmine stained sections to be removed into a mixture of hydrochloric acid and spirit. The hydrochloric acid removes excess of the stain and overstained sections may be subjected to a similar prolonged process with advantage. The method is said to have been introduced by a Mr. Woodward, in America.
A.J.D.-At the end of the year a preface, an index, and a list of errata will be issued. Many errors of a typographical character have crept in in spite of every care. We thank you for drawing attention to those errors on page 29 and page 45, we had already noted them.
M.B.-Mr. HEINRICH HENSOLDT, of Wetzlar, uses an excellent cement for fastening rock sections to glass to enable them to be ground thin. It is composed of shellac and venetian turpentine melted together, and put up in the form of sticks of sealing wax.
No. 9. July 8th 1882
J.A.W.-On the cover of No. 4, page iii., you will notice that we have recommended the application of a film of gum to sections of unsoftened bone, previous to mounting them in Canada balsam. Make a strong solution of gum arabic; place your section of bone on the glass slip and apply a drop of the gum to it; place it aside under cover until it is perfectly dry, add the Canada balsam and cover. If carefully done, the lacunae and canaliculi ought to be clearly shown.
C. JERSEY.-We cannot make you any extra charge.
BOTANIST.-In No. 2, page 10, l. 27 from top, for "into an equivalent number of" read "into a number of equivalent."
A.J.D.-Many thanks for the specimens of Aecidium compositarum and Ae. epilobii; they arrived perfectly fresh and in good condition. We propose to issue a section of the leaf with Ae. compositarum in situ with a description of the interesting group to which it belongs, as the subject of a future article.
No. 10. July 15th 1882
J.B.-Glycerine jelly is a very troublesome medium to prepare in small quantities; we have always used RIMMINGTON'S, and find it the best. You can procure it from any dealer in microscopical media, etc., or direct from Bradford.
C.G.T.-We have not yet had time to examine and analyse your rock chip from Glen Rosa, as soon as we have done so we will communicate the result to you by letter.
A.M.-On p. 18 of this journal you will see a reference to Mr. MACFRALANE's paper on the staining of vegetable tissues. Emeraldine and Saffranin are we believe more brilliant and permanent than Carmine and Iodine Green. Eosin is not a reliable dye for vegetable tissues; in many instances it fades away in a few hours.
No. 11. July 22nd 1882
X.-We have been advised to take up the subject of BACTERIA in our journal, and especially with reference to morbid conditions. We shall be glad to avail ourselves of any suggestions you make on this subject, and if we are successful in our experiments on the preparation of bacteria, shall take an early opportunity of making them generally known.
R.F.C.-Many thanks for your communication. Our lithographs owe their excellence to the skill of Mr. JAMES WATSON, of the firm of Messrs. WATSON AND SON, of 91, Newhall Street, Birmingham, who have recently added a "Scientific Art" department to their establishment.
No. 12. July 29th 1882
C.J.-Insects and parts of insects may be mounted whole and without pressure in glycerine, glycerine jelly, or in Canada balsam. If you use glycerine steep the preparation in distilled water, or in diluted glycerine, fill your cell with the medium and carefully submerge the object,
adding a drop of glycerine if necessary, cover with a thin glass, which may be held in position by one of the metal caps devised by Mr. ENOCK, while the superfluous glycerine is being washed off either under a tap,
or in a saucer full of water with a soft brush. The slide may then be wiped dry, a coat of gold size applied to the edges of Enock's cap, and finished off in the usual way.
N.B.-Mr. MARLOW, of 111, Constitution Hill, Birmingham, prepares mounting media of all descriptions of the highest excellence. If you desire to finish off your slides mounted in Canada balsam at once, you should try his brown cement, a coat of which dries in a few minutes and permits the application of the white zinc without any danger of its running in.
M.S.-We advise you to get either MARLOW'S or RIMMINGTON's Glycerine Jelly.
No. 13. August 5th 1882
S.S.-To mount parts of or entire insects without pressure in Canada balsam, you ought to subject the Specimen to a strong solution of Carbolic Acid. The strongest B.P. solution is the best. As soon as transparent, drain off surplus liquid on a warm stage, add the balsam and cover.
C.B.R.-Proglottidae of tape-worms may be cleared and mounted without pressure in the same way as that stated above for insects,-i.e., with strong carbolic acid solution.
SILURIA.-Many thanks for the rock specimens; kindly furnish us with stratigraphical details, and general mode of occurrence.
T.J.-You can get typical rock and other sections from Mr. MARLOW, 111, Constitution Hill, Birmingham.
No. 14. August 12th 1882
C.C.-Dr. EHRLICH in staining the bacteria of tubercle, recommends that a solution of phenylamine in water should be mixed with a saturated solution of Fuchsin or of methyl-violet until the mixture becomes slightly opalescent.
The section may then be placed on a cover glass, drained, and subjected to the action of the dye, thus prepared for about fifteen minutes when it will be deeply stained. Excess of coloration is removed by the action of a solution of nitric acid, made by mixing one part by bulk of the acid with two parts of water.
No. 15. August 19th 1882
F.R.C.S.-Many thanks for the rock specimens, they are slightly weathered. We advise you, where possible to use a 17lb. hammer.
W.R.-By far the best elementary work on Physiography in the English language is the little vol. entitled "Lessons in Physical Geography," by Dr. ARCHIBALD GEIKIE, F.R.S., published by Messrs. Macmillan.
No. 16. August 26th 1882
G.J.-We recommend to your notice the second edition of a work entitled "Practical Microscopy," by GEORGE E. DAVIS. In it you will find all the most recent improvements in Microscopes are fully and ably discussed. The book is published by David Bogue, 3, St. Martin's Place, London, W.C., for 7/6.
W.K.-If we can obtain a sufficient quantity of Pilularia globulifera, we most certainly shall make the subject of a future article; and, if possible, issue with it a preparation to show micro and macrosporangia.
No. 17. September 2nd 1882
J.F.R.-A good typical specimen of Cirrhosis, rather overstained.
H.M.S.-In the Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society you will find excellent abstracts of current biological literatur. We strongly advise you to procure it.
C.R.-Many thanks for your communication. The specimen received is one of Garveia nutans.
P.C.O.-The hair from under the neck of an ox is perhaps the best diatom selector you can provide yourself with. Procure a few from a dried piece of skin and mount them in wooden holders. Ordinary pen holders slit at the ends, the hairs placed in the middle of the incision and tied in position will do.
G.S.-Your rock is a coarsely granitoid igneous specimen, - Diabase? It contains some very well preserved crystals of augite, but no olivine.
No. 18. September 9th 1882
B.W.-We refer you for full information regarding the Diatoms with coating of iron pyrites, to Mr. W. SHRUBSOLE, Sheerness-on-Sea.
J.H.R.-Your rock from Arran is a PITCHSTONE; it does not show the beautiful microliths which obtain in specimens from Corriegills. It probably comes from Cir Mohr. See ZIRKEL, Mikroskopische Beschaffenheit der Mineralien und Gesteine, Leipzing, 1873.
M.S.-Your section of HUMAN LIVER has not been sufficiently stained. We advise you to use Logwood instead of picro-carmine. The colour is more pleasing to the eye, and you will find that specimens which have been hardened in spirit take the dye up most readily.
No. 19. September 16th 1882
J.T.T.-Mount your starch granules free, in cells filled with dilute carbolic acid; seal with gold size, and finish with white zinc or other cement.
J.Q.-Your specimen is Phragmidium bulbosum, a micro-fungus on the leaf of the Bramble. Detach one of the little black patches carefully with a needle, and tease it out gently in some hardened balsam rendered liquid with benzol, cover, and finish in the usual way.
No. 20. September 23rd 1882
J.W.-You will find the desired information respecting the Archizoea of Cirripedia, in a paper by the late Dr. R. Von WILLEMOES-SUHM of the "Challenger" Expedition in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1875, p. 131, et seq.
H.R.F.-You will find the Geological Chart by JOHN MORRIS, published by James Reynolds, 174, Strand, London, a great help to you, in commencing the study of Statigraphical Geology. Your fossil is the carboniferous species, Productus longispinus, a very common form in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh.
No. 21. September 30th 1882
A.J.D.-Of Dr. LAUDER LINDSAY'S works see the following:- 1st, Outlines of Lichenology, 8vo., with 12 coloured plates, Lovell, Reeve and Co., London. 2nd, The Nomenclature and Classification of the British Lichens. 3rd, Popular History of British Lichens, G. Routledge & Sons, London, 1856.
See also KREMPELHUBER'S Geschite und Litteratur der Lichenologie, Munich, 1867-1872.
C.G.K.-We thank you for your letter. We are always glad to receive any suggestions which we can turn to account in improving our journal.
F.W.-Typographical errors will creep in in spite of every care. We keep a list of these, made from week to week, and will publish a list of errata at the end of the year. Only last week the Greek of the Etymology suffered in a most unaccountable way.
No. 22. October 7th 1882
A.J.D.-Many thanks for Lophopus crystallinus, it arrived in good condition.
M.F.B.-Dolerite will probably form the subject of our next petrographical article, which we intend to have ready for No. 26, to be issued on the 4th November, 1882.
G.H.-Dissolve 5 centigrammes of Aniline Blue-Black in 2CC. distilled water, pour it into 99CC. methylated spirit, and filter. Keep in well-stoppered bottle.
J.X.S.-Use the strongest B.P. Solution of Carbolic-acid. You can procure it at any good chemists.
No. 23. October 4th 1882
J.W.-Dolerite of Dalmahoy Hill, will be issued with No. 26.
PETROLOGIST.-We purpose issuing a rock section every month hereafter, as nearly as possible. One of the chief reasons why we have not attended to this department with greater regularity, is that we have endeavoured to take every advantage of the warmer seasons of the year, to procure and prepare special botanical specimens of interest,
such as Equisetum, Pilularia, etc. Rock sections, of course, are available at all seasons, and we therefore propose to make this a prominent feature of our work for winter.
A.G.-Place your Dahlia tubers cut into pieces of about half an inch square, in the strongest spirit (rectified) for a month.
No. 24. October 21st 1882
G.W.-We have not yet had time to gather the information you require about Polynema ovulorum. We shall be glad to do all we can for you at our earliest convenience; probably next week.
No. 25. October 28th 1882
G.W.-Polnema ovulorum. - See LUBBOCK, On two Aquatic Hymenoptera, one of which uses its Wings in Swimming, Linnean Society Transactions, London, 1863, Vol. xxiv, Part ii, p. 136.
U.S., SHEFFIELD.-In selecting subjects for our Journal, we have been obliged to bear in mind the old Utilitarian principle, and issue only those things which are likely to meet the wants of the greatest number.
Opaque objects, do not, as a rule, furnish us with sufficient information. They are very likely useful as supplementary specimens. If there is anything you particularly desire of this kind, we shall be most happy to meet your wants if we can possibly do so.
No. 26. November 4th 1882
H.N., URMSTON.-Many thanks for your well-mounted specimen of young Selaginella denticulata. We shall reply to your enquiries fully by letter.
Joseph Clark.-In the description of the sporocarp contained in this number you will find the desired information. The description of the plates cannot in every case be printed on the plate itself; we therefore decided long ago to place that item in the accompanying letterpress.
DELTA.-Clare College, Cambridge. - A list of Subscribers will probably be published at the end of the year.
No. 27. November 11th 1882
H.N.-Many thanks for the Selaginella denticulata. Soak your specimens in tepid distilled water, and mount in glycerine jelly. Canada balsam is liable to distort them.
W.G., LEEDS.-We refer you to p. 60, of this Journal.
C.G.T.-Rocks received safely, many thanks. Your Diorite from Glen Coy is very peculiar. We will send you results in a few days.
No. 28. November 18th 1882
COLONEL BASEVI.-You will notice on the cover of this number that we have adopted your suggestion. The paging of the Journal cannot be altered until after the termination of the first year.
J.B.JEAFFERSON.-We will do our utmost to issue a Journal on Pathological Histology, but cannot promise to do so at once.
J.ROGERS.-The labels will receive the attention you suggest for the future. We have done our best to secure the uniform size of plates and letterpress.
W.HAMPTON.-Your first query has been replied to, see cover of No. 26, p. ii, Delta, Clare Coll. Cantab. Your other questions we shall answer fully by letter.
No. 29. November 25th 1882
A.J.D.-Your letter received, will answer you shortly "re" "Etymological Dictionary"
C.B.-See ALLMAN'S Monograph on British Freshwater Polyzoa, published by the Ray Society.
H.N.-Your specimen of PROTHALLIUM of Selaginella denticulata, bears well marked archegonia.
No. 30. December 2nd 1882
F.R.S.E.-See PROFESSOR WILLIAMSON'S paper, Philosophical Transactions, Vol. clxi, pp. 477-510.
No. 31. December 9th 1882
A.W.-AFANASSIEW'S paper on the Thymus is entitled "Ueber Bau und Entwickeliung d. Thymus d. Saugethiere". You will find it in the Archiv. Fur mikroskopische Anatomie, Bd. xiv. 1877.
No. 32. December 16th 1882
JOSEPH CLARK, STREET.-Many thanks for the New Zealand resin. We will experiment with it, and report the results by letter to you. Try turpentine and benzol as solvents.
No. 33. December 23rd 1882
A.J.D., MANCHESTER.-Follow the directions given on p. 6, of the journal, and you will be able to mount your sections of lichens absolutely free from air within their tissues. Observe more particularly paragraph (V. a.)
J.G.T.-On p. 215 of this journal you will find a reference to the article on the "Gonidia question" published in "Grevillea" under the head of BORNET. We certainly do not agree with COOKE. Re-read our article, and judge for yourself.
No. 34. December 30th 1882
J.S.-You will find Dr. WATNEY'S paper on the Thymus, in a recent volume of the Royal Society's Transactions.
W. NOBLE.-Use KLEINENBERG'S Picric Acid Solution for hardening the tissues of Coelenterata such as Hydra and Actinia.
J.A.-One of your rocks from the islands of the west of Scotland will, we think, turn out particularly interesting. We shall send you a brief description soon.
No. 35. January 6th 1883
P.T.-A full prospectus of next year's issue of the "Studies", which will be far more comprehensive than the present series, will be issued to subscribers towards the close of Vol. I.
F.W.-A Special work on Petrography will be published as part of the "Studies", provided that the list of subscribers will warrant such publication. Only a very limited number of petrographical subscriptions will be taken,
the work will probably consist of 24 numbers, to be continued, at a subscription of about £2 10s. Intending Subscribers should send their names in to the Editor at once, to ensure copies of the work.
No. 36. January 13th 1883
A.J.-We will try to issue the PORPHYRITIC BASALT of the Lions Haunch, Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, as well as the PITCHSTONE or Corriegills, Arran, during the first year.
W.S.-The number of subscribers to this journal is strictly limited to 1000. You may tell your friend so. At the termination of the year the remaining copies, if any, will be sold to non-subscribers at an increased price. We therefore advise your friend to subscribe at once.
No. 37. January 20th 1882
Major B.-Your name shall be placed upon next year's list for the PETROGRAPHICAL STUDIES. At the termination of the first year a prospectus of each department will be published, and will contain full particulars of each section.
The Petrographic Studies will not be undertaken unless a subscription list of 100 names at least can be secured.
M.D.-A series of PATHOLOGICAL STUDIES will be published, provided a sufficient number of good examples can be obtained for that purpose.
T.J.-The Studies for next year will not contain any of the preparations issued this year. They will also be conducted systematically, so that at the termination of the Studies (which may extend over two years) each subscriber will possess a comprehensive treatise on histology, in which all
the latest improvements, works, papers, etc., will be registered from time to time as they appear.
No. 38. January 27th 1883
W.J.-The class for instruction in section mounting, staining, injecting, drawing, etc., will be held during the evening; each lesson will extend over one or two hours. See advertisement on page vii of this cover. A full prospectus of the course will be sent to you as soon as it is ready.
J.D. AND OTHERS, see p. iii of this cover; a detailed approximate list of the preparations, etc., to be issued in each department of this work for its second year, will be published in a prospectus to be issued with the last few numbers of Vol. I.
A.J.-We are at present engaged in the examination of serpentines from many districts. Our last two rock issues will probably consist of SERPENTINE from the Lizard, and SERPENTINE from Portsoy. We may thus be obliged to issue the PITCHSTONE of Corriegills next year.
No. 39. February 3rd 1883
All the communications of last week! plus
J.R.-In Volume II. we propose to number the plates, and also to head each page with the name of its contained subject.
No. 40. February 10th 1883
R.V.-Your rock contains HORNBLENDE (greenish) and well marked PAULITE (rich claret coloured).
J.ROGERS.-On second consideration, we find that your suggestions for Vol. II. are quite practicable. Blank spaces will be avoided, and odd pages will not be inserted. We will do our best to have the plates cut a little larger, so as to allow for the binder.
We have placed your name on all four sections for Vol. II.; many thanks for your suggestions.
No. 41. February 17th 1883
J.A.-Felspar (labradorite), Olivine (Honey yellow fissured) Augite (brownish pink, dillage), Magnetite (black opaque), devitrified magma, Apatite? (acicular and clear).
No. 42. February 24th 1883
As previous week!
No. 43. March 3rd 1883
O.S.-We thank you for your suggestions regarding Sections II and IV, of Vol. II; those portions of the work cannot commence until the specified number of subscribers can be secured to defray initial expenses.
No. 44. March 10th 1883
C.R.L.-Your serpentine from near Lizard town contains large crystals of Diallagic-Augite; the larger examples of which are fissured, and show transitions into serpentine both at those parts and at their margins.
N.H.-Your enquiries and suggestions require a longer answer than these columns will permit, we shall therefore write to you shortly.
No. 45. March 17th 1883
F.G.S.-For a description of the MOUNT SORREL GRANITE see 2 J. Geol. Soc. May 1878, p. 219, etc. (The Precarboniferous Rocks of Charnwood Forest. - Part II, by the Rev. E. HILL and Prof. T. G. BONNEY). We have had two or
three enquiries concerning this rock.
W.R.-You will find a reference to LANGLEY'S paper in the pages of this number.
No. 46. March 24th 1883
C.G.T.-Observe the intercrystallisation of felspar and quartz in your section from Arran.
T.J.-We thank you for your suggestions; will answer you fully by letter.
No. 47. March 31st 1883
A.J.D.-Forms of application for Vol. II, will be sent to you in due course. A full prospectus of Vol. II. with approximate lists of the preparations to be issued will be ready soon, a copy of which will be sent to intending subscribers.
M.W.-Apply to Mr. MARLOW, of 111, Constitution Hill, Birmingham, for his descriptive catalogue of microscopical desiderata.
No. 48. April 7th 1883
W.J.-See J.C. WARD, "Geology of the Northern Part of the English Lake District," Memoirs of the Geological Survey, London, 1876.
H.M.-Lyme Regis, We thank you for the haulms of maize, will write to you shortly.
No. 49. April 14th 1883
A.S.G.-We cannot guarentee that the slides of WHITE and RED SYENITE from Lairg, and of PORPHYRITIC BASALT from the Lion's Haunch, Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, are genuine, as we did not supply them and are the sole possessors of the material as sent to us by PROFESSOR HEDDLE for this journal.
No. 50. April 21st 1883
W.H.-Your specimen of Stigmaria ficoides will receive our best attention; we will try to get two done for you.
No. 51. May 5th 1883
A.J.D., MANCHESTER.-You will find the necessary forms of application for Vol. ii, and the preliminary chapters enclosed in this number.
W.-Use benzoline for cleaning off thick balsam from your slides; it answers just as well as benzole, and is inexpensive.
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