The microtomist's vade-mecum : a handbook of the methods of microscopic anatomy / by Arthur Bolles Lee.

Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The microtomist's vade-mecum : a handbook of the methods of microscopic anatomy / by Arthur Bolles Lee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    some time, throiigli the tube, iuid tlie animals are then left for some hours in order that narcotisation may become fully estab- lished. 'J'he animals are irritated from time to time by touch- ing a tentacle with a needle. As soon as it is observed that an animal begins to react slowly, that is to say as soon as it is found that the contraction of the tentacle does not begin until a considerable time after it has been irritated by the needle, the narcotisation may be considered sufficient. A quantity of some fixing liquid sufficient to kill the animals before they have time to contract is then added to the water. A space of several hours is necessary in order to thoroughly narcotise an Actinia by this method. 10. Nicotin in solution may be used instead of tobacco .smoke (Andres, Atti R. Accad. dei Lincei, v. 1880, p. 9; see Journ. Roy. Mic. Soc., N.S., ii, 1882, p. 881). Andres employs a solution of 1 gramme of nicotin in a litre of sea-water. The animal to be anaesthetised is placed in a jar containing half a litre of sea-water, and the solution of nicotin is gradually con- ducted into the jar by means of a thread acting* as siphon. The thread ought to be of such a thickness as to be capable of carrying over the whole of the solution of nicotin in twenty- four hours. 11. Chloroform may be employed either in the liquid state or in the state of vapour. Korotneff (Mitth. Zool. Stat. Neapel, v, Hft. 2, 1884, p. 229; Zeit. f. iviss. Mik., 2, 1885, p. 230) operates in the following manner with Siphonophora. The animals being extended, a watch-glass containing* chloro- form is floated on the surface of the water in which they are contained, and the whole is covei’ed with a bell-glass. As soon as the animals have become insensible, they are killed by means of hot sublimate or chromic-acid solution plentifully poured on to them. 12. Liquid chloroform is employed by squirting it in small quantities on to the surface of the water containing the animals. A syringe or ])ipette having a very small orifice, so as to thoroughly pulverise the chloroform, should be cmplo3'ed. Small quantities onl^'^ should bo projected at a time, and the dose should be repeated every five minutes, until the animals are anmsthetisod.