The preparation & mounting of microscopic objectsDavies, Thomas
Science
The preparation & mounting of microscopic objects
Davies, Thomas
Microscopy -- Technique
34. A few subjects may be noticed which are very beautiful when
injected, and amongst these are the eyes of many animals. They
must be injected by the artery in the back part, and when the blue
transparent liquid is employed, nothing can exceed the delicate beauty
which some of the membrane bears. It must, however, be dissected with
care, but well repays us for the trouble. Water-newts and frogs are
not difficult subjects, and in their skin and other parts are many
interesting objects. Amongst the commoner animals--rats, rabbits, cats,
&c. &c.--almost endless employment may be found, making use either of
portions or the whole animal at once. The intestines of many of these
are very beautiful. We must divide them with a pair of scissors along
the tube, and cleanse them from all the matter; the coating may then be
laid upon a slide, and any remaining impurity removed with a camel-hair
pencil and water. When dried it may be mounted in balsam, and having
been injected with the transparent blue, its minute beauty is shown
most perfectly. In injecting a sheep’s foot, which is a good object,
the liquid should be forced into it until a slight paring of the hoof
shows the colour in the fine channels there.
35. When the lungs of small animals are injected, the finest fluid must
be used, as some of the capillaries are so small that it is not an easy
matter to fill them properly. And before entering upon these subjects,
a certain proficiency in the mode of using the syringe, &c., should be
obtained by practising upon simpler parts.
36. No subjects are more difficult to inject than fish, owing to the
extreme softness of their tissues. Dr. Hogg recommends the tail of the
fish to be cut off, and the pipe to be put into the divided vessel
which lies just beneath the spinal column; by which method beautiful
injections may be made. The gills, however, are the most interesting
part as microscopic objects.
37. These instructions may seem very imperfect to those who have had
much experience in this branch; but they will remember that their
own knowledge was not gained from any written descriptions, but was
forced upon them by frequent failures, some of which probably were
very disheartening. As I before stated, it is very difficult (if not
impossible) to accomplish much without some knowledge of anatomy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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