Preparing, Mounting, Cementing and Collecting Objects.

Various materials are required for preparing and mounting microscopic objects, as slips of glass, patent flatted plate measuring 3 × 1 inch, thin glass covers, glass cells, preservative media, varnishes, cements, a glazier’s diamond, and a Shadbolt’s turn-table.

The glass slides and covers, although sent out packed ready for use, should be immersed in an alkaline solution to ensure perfect freedom from any greasiness derived from touching by the fingers. Dr. Seller recommends a particular solution for this purpose. (See Formulæ, Appendix.)

Varnishes and cements must be selected with care, as these are not only expected to adhere firmly to the glass slide, but also to resist the action of the preservative fluid in which the specimen may be mounted. Among the numerous preparations employed, I may enumerate Canada balsam, gum dammar, Venice turpentine, Japanners’ gold size, used for closing up cells, asphalte varnish, Brunswick black, shellac, glue and honey, Hollis’ liquid glue, and marine glue. To give a finish to the mounted specimen, coloured varnishes are sometimes resorted to. A red varnish of sealing-wax is made by digesting powdered sealing-wax in strong alcohol. Filter, and place the solution in a dish, and evaporate by means of a sand bath to reduce it to a proper consistency. This is said to resist the action of cedar oil. For white, zinc, cement is the best. This is made of benzole, gum dammar, oxide of zinc, and turpentine. Cole gives another formula, but either of these may be obtained of Squire, who supplies every kind of staining and mounting material.

Fig. 262.—Walmsley’s Cell-making Turn-table.

Cells for Mounting.—The minuter forms of life should be mounted in thin cells, which may be readily made with Japanners’ gold size, dammar or asphalte, and a Shadbolt or Walmsley’s turntable. The glass slide being placed under the metal springs in such a manner that its two ends shall be equi-distant from the centre (a guide to the position is afforded by the circles traced out on the brass), take a camel’s hair pencil and dip it into the Japanner’s gold-size, holding it firmly between the finger and thumb, and set the wheel in motion, when a perfect circle will be formed; put it aside to dry, or place it in the warm chamber to harden. To cut cover-glasses place a sheet of thin glass under the brass springs, and substitute for the pencil a cutting diamond. A cutting diamond is not only useful to the microscopist for the above purpose, but also for writing the names of mounted objects on one end of the slide.

It will be found convenient to make a number of such cells, and keep a stock ready for use. There are many objects whose structure is very transparent. These should be mounted dry. Scales from the wings of butterflies and moths, of the podura and lepisma, and some of the diatomaceæ are of this class. All that is necessary in preparing objects for dry mounting is to take care that they are free from extraneous matter, and fix them permanently in the position in which their structure will show to the best advantage.

For mounting specimens of greater thickness it is desirable to use deeper cells. It will then be found convenient to make a second or a third application of the gold-size, allowing sufficient time between applications for the varnish to dry. Cells of a still deeper kind are made up by cementing rings of glass or metal to the glass-slides with marine glue or Brunswick black. The latter will be rendered more durable by mixing in a small quantity of indiarubber varnish (made by dissolving small strips of caoutchouc in gas-tar). The process of mounting in glass-cells is similar to that employed in making varnish-cells, except that a somewhat larger quantity of cementing medium is required. Objects mounted in this way should be kept for a time in the horizontal position, and a little fresh varnish must be applied if the cement shows a tendency to crack. In mounting objects in balsam, care must be taken to have the specimen quite dry before transferring it to turpentine. Objects mounted in cells should become perfectly saturated with the mounting fluid before being finally cemented down.

Fig. 263.—Glass-cells for Mounting.

It is preferable to mount and preserve specimens of animal tissues in shallow cells, to avoid undue pressure on the preparation. Cells intended to contain preparations immersed in fluid must be made of a substance impervious to the fluid used, such as here represented ([Fig. 263]). The surface of the fixed glass-circle should be slightly roughened before applying the cement.

Different modes of mounting may be employed with advantage; for instance, entomological specimens, as legs, wings, spiracles, tracheæ, ovipositors, stings, tongues, palates, corneæ, should be mounted in balsam; the trachea of the house-cricket, however, should be mounted dry. Sections of bone may either be mounted dry or in a fluid. Other objects, as sections of wood and stones of fruit, exhibit their structure best in Canada balsam.

In mounting entomological specimens, the first thing, of course, is the dissection of the insect. This is best accomplished by the aid of a dissecting microscope, a pair of small brass forceps, and finely-pointed scissors; the parts to be prepared and mounted should first be carefully detached from the insect with the scissors, then immersed in a solution of caustic alkali (liquor potassæ) for a few days, to soften and dissolve out the fat and soft parts. The length of time necessary for their immersion can only be determined by experience, but, as a general rule, the objects assume a certain amount of transparency when they have been long enough in the alkali; when this is ascertained, the object must be placed in a proper receptacle and put by to soak for two or three hours in soft or distilled water. It should then be placed between two slips of glass, and gently pressed till the softer parts are removed. Should any adhere to the edge of the object, it will be necessary to wash the specimen carefully in water, a process that will be much assisted by the delicate touches of a camel’s-hair brush. Place the object now and then under the microscope to see that all extraneous matter is removed, and when this is accomplished take the specimen up carefully with the camel’s-hair brush, or a lifter, and place it on a piece of very smooth paper (thick ivory note is the best for the purpose), arrange it carefully with the brush and a finely pointed needle, place a second piece of paper over it, and press it flat between two slips of glass, and compress it by a small spring clip ([Fig. 264]). A dozen clips may be had for a few pence. When thoroughly dry (which it will probably be in about twenty-four hours, if in a warm room), separate the glasses, and gently unfold the paper; then, with a little careful manipulation, the object may be readily detached, and placed in a little spirit of turpentine, where it should be allowed to remain until rendered transparent and fit for mounting. The time during which it should remain in this liquid will depend on the structure; some objects, such as wings of flies, will be quickly permeated, while horny and dense objects require an immersion of a fortnight or even longer. A pomatum pot with a concave bottom and well-fitting lid will answer admirably for conducting the soaking process in; and it is well, in preparing several specimens at a time, to have two pots, one for large and medium, the other for very small objects, otherwise the smaller will adhere to the larger.

Fig. 264.—Spring Clip for Mounting.

In mounting objects in fluid, the glass cover should come nearly, but not quite, to the edge of the cell, a slight margin being left for the cement, which should project slightly over the edge of the cover, in order to secure it to the cell.

Media for Preserving Algæ.—The most useful preservative media for algæ are chrome-alum, formalin, and camphor water. The solution should consist of one per cent. of chrome-alum and one per cent. of formalin; this will render the gelatinous sheath and matrix form clear, while it will retain the colour of the algæ in most cases. The Chlorophyceæ do well in any of these media; but other species, as Ulva Lactuca, are rendered somewhat brittle. For such use formalin alone. The Phæophyceæ should be placed while fresh in the formalin; the larger forms are better fixed by placing them for an hour or two in chrome-alum solution. The Florideæ do well in any of the three solutions, but the more delicate species, Griffithsia, require a two per cent. formalin solution in sea-water; the plant preserves its natural appearance in this medium.

To preserve and mount diatomaceæ in as nearly as possible a natural condition, they should be first well washed in distilled water and mounted in a medium composed of one part of spirits of wine to seven parts of distilled water. The siliceous coverings of the diatoms, however, which show various beautiful forms under the higher powers of the microscope, require more care in preparation. The guano, or infusorial earth containing them, should first be washed several times in water till the water is colourless, allowing sufficient time for precipitation between each washing. The deposit must then be put into a test tube and nitro-hydrochloric acid (equal parts of nitric and hydrochloric acids) added to it, when a violent effervescence will take place. When this has subsided, the whole should be subjected to heat, brought nearly to the boiling point for six or eight hours. The acid must now be carefully poured off, and the precipitate washed in a large quantity of water, allowing some three or four hours between each washing, for the subsidence of some of the lighter forms. The sediment must be examined under the microscope with an inch object-glass, and the siliceous valves of the diatoms picked out with a coarse hair or bristle.

Dr. Rezner’s Mechanical Finger ([Fig. 265]) for selecting and arranging diatoms, adaptable to any microscope, is made to slip on to the objective far enough to have a firm bearing, and so that the bristle point can be brought into focus when depressed to its limit. It is clamped in its place by a small thumb-screw. The bristle holder slides into its place, and is carefully adjusted to the centre of the field. When using the finger, the bristle is first raised by means of the micrometer screw till so far within focus as to be nearly or quite invisible, then the objective is focussed on to the slide, and the desired object sought for and brought into the centre of the field; the bristle point is then lowered by the screw until it reaches the object, which usually adheres to it at once, and can then be examined by rotating the bristle wire by means of the milled head.

Fig. 265.—Rezner’s Mechanical Finger.

The medium used for mounting diatomaceæ is of considerable importance, inasmuch as their visibility is either diminished or much increased thereby. Professor Abbe, experimenting with the more minute test objects, diatoms, &c., found monobromide of naphthaline gave increased definition to most of them. This liquid is colourless, somewhat of an oleaginous nature, and is soluble in alcohol. Its density is 1·555, and refractive index 1·6. Its index of visibility is about twice that of Canada balsam.

Taking the refractive index of air as 1·0, and diatomaceous silex as 1·43, the visibility may be expressed by the difference ·43.

The following table may be constructed :—

Refractive indices
(taken approximately).		Visibility of silex
(Refr. index = 1·43).
Water..=1·33..10
Canada balsam..=1·54..11
Bisulphide of carbon..=1·68..25
Sol. of sulphur in bisulph...=1·75..32
"phosphorus"..=2·11..67

These data relating to visibility must be taken in connection with the numerical aperture of the objectives and of the illuminating pencil. The effect produced on diatoms is very remarkable, the markings on their siliceous frustules being visible under much lower powers.

So that the visibility of the diatom mounted in phosphorus as compared with balsam is as sixty-seven to eleven; in other words, the image is six times more visible. Mr. Stephenson’s phosphorus medium is composed of a solution of solid or stick phosphorous dissolved in bisulphide of carbon. Great care is required in preparing the solution owing to the very inflammable nature of the materials. So small a quantity of the bisulphide of carbon is required to dissolve the phosphorus that the diatom may be said to be mounted in nearly pure phosphorus. Remarkable enough, this medium has the reverse effect upon such test-objects as podura and lepisma scales. These lose their characteristic markings.

For mounting minute objects, carbolic acid solution will be found a useful medium—the purest crystals of carbolic acid dissolved in just sufficient water to render them fluid. No more should be dissolved than may be wanted for the time being, as if left standing exposed to the light it changes colour. Small crustacean foraminifera, the palates of moluscs, after boiling a short time in liquid potash and well washing to remove all traces of alkali, may be preserved in carbolic acid solution. Should the specimens appear cloudy gently warm the slide over a spirit lamp.

Preserving and Killing Rotatoria with cilia in situ.—Mr. C. Rousselet’s method of preserving and mounting the Rotatoria[47] has been attended with so much success that the old difficulty attendant upon the preservation of these various beautiful forms of infusorial life has been practically overcome. The process resorted to consists of four stages, namely, narcotising, killing, fixing, and preserving. In dealing with rotifers hitherto, the difficulty has been that of successfully killing them with their rotating organs fully extended. It has been found needful to have recourse in the first instance to a narcotising agent, and one that acts slowly. The most suitable is a weak solution of the hydrochlorate of cocaine, a one per cent. solution, or even weaker. This was first proposed by Mr. Weber for keeping these active little bodies quiet while under observation. Mr. Rousselet carries this agent further; he applied it to narcotise them prior to killing, and this it does most effectually. The rotifers are seen to sink to the bottom of the live-cell, and the cilia gradually to slacken in motion, and the time for killing has arrived. This is effected by Flemming’s chromo-aceto-osmic acid. A rather weak solution must be employed—consisting of 1 per cent. solution of chromic acid, 15 parts; 2 per cent. osmic acid, 4 parts; glacial acetic acid, 1 part—which is at the same time a killing and fixing medium. The word “fixing” must not be taken to imply simply fixing, as it includes rapidly killing and hardening and preventing further change in the tissues of the rotifers by subsequent treatment, as mounting. The animal, therefore, must remain quietly for a few minutes, and then taken out and washed in five or six changes of distilled water, and hence transferred to the preservative fluid. All this must be effected with great care. The best preservative fluid is simply distilled water, rendered antiseptic by a trace of the fixing solution (about eight drops to an ounce of water) giving the slightest tinge of yellow to the solution. This slight tinge of colour is imparted to the rotifers, otherwise they remain transparent and unchanged, while the nervous tissue throughout the body is brought out to perfection.

Some slight difference in treatment is required by certain species, as that of Asplanchna priodonta; after the application of the cocaine solution, which should be added slowly, that is, by letting a few drops trickle down the side of the live-trough; this, being heavier than water, sinks to the bottom, thus narcotising the rotifers, and assisting to kill them with the cilia fully expanded. They should be left quietly for fifteen minutes, then thoroughly washed with distilled water. On further experimenting, Mr. Rousselet found that a weaker solution of osmic acid alone, ¼ per cent., answers quite as well as, if not better than, Flemming’s fluid; even this must be allowed to act for only a very short time—a minute at most; the rotifers then remain white and transparent, excepting the ova, in which a fat-like substance, lecithene, is secreted. If they become too much stained, they may be decolourised by passing them through peroxide of hydrogen. For narcotising the following solution has been found most useful:—Take a 2 per cent. solution of cocaine hydrochlorate, 3 parts; methylated spirit of wood naphtha, 1 part; and distilled water, 6 parts. This must be added as before directed, drop by drop, watching the effect upon the rotifers under the microscope.

All the rotatoria may be killed and preserved in the same way. For mounting, Mr. Rousselet prefers a slightly hollowed-out glass cell, the advantage of which is that the rotifers are kept to the centre, and cannot move to the edge. A little difficulty at first presents itself to exclude air-bubbles, but this, with a little care, can be overcome by placing a drop of a two or three per cent. solution of formalin, just sufficient to fill the cell. Then transfer the rotifers with a dipping pipette to the cell, and lower the cover-glass down very gently, removing any excess of fluid by blotting-paper. The best cement for the cover-glass is gold-size.

Method of Cementing.—After many years’ experience, I have arrived at the conclusion that for cementing down the cover-glass there is nothing better than either gold size or gum dammar varnish. The latter, for some preparations, will be improved by the addition of a small proportion of indiarubber dissolved in naphtha. (See Appendix.)

Should glycerine be preferred, carefully wash away any surplus quantity by gently syringing; then apply a ring of waterproof cement round the cover-glass. An inexpensive one can be made by dissolving ten grains of gum-ammoniac in an ounce of acetic acid, and adding to this solution two drachms of Cox’s gelatine. This liquid flows easily from the brush and is waterproof, rendered more so if subsequently brushed over with a solution of ten grains of bichromate of potash in an ounce of water. An especial recommendation to this cement is its adhesiveness to glass, even should there be a little glycerine left behind on the cover. After the gelatine ring is thoroughly dry any kind of cement may be employed.

A useful cement for fixing minute objects, diatoms, &c., temporarily to thin glass covers, before permanently mounting them in Canada balsam, is made as follows:—Dissolve, without heat, two or three grains of gum arabic in one ounce of distilled water, then add glacial acetic acid, three minims, and the least trace of sugar. Filter carefully through filter paper, and repeat this in the course of three or four weeks. This cement will be unaffected by the balsam.

Mounting Chara.—It is often found difficult to preserve and mount the fruit of chara, but this can be successfully accomplished in glycerine jelly, by taking the following precautions. After cleaning the specimen place it in 92 per cent. of alcohol for several hours, then transfer it to a mixture of equal parts of spirit and glycerine for several hours longer, pour off nearly all the mixture, and add pure glycerine at intervals till the glycerine becomes concentrated. The specimen is then mounted in glycerine jelly in a cell just deep enough to take it without pressure.

There are some objects much more difficult to prepare than others, and which tax the patience of the beginner in a manner which can hardly be imagined by any one who has never made the attempt. The structure of many creatures is so delicate as to require the very greatest care to prevent mutilation, and consequent spoliation, of the specimen. The beginner, therefore, must not be discouraged by a few failures in commencing, but should persevere in his attempts, and constant practice will soon teach him the best way of managing intricate and difficult objects. The room in which he operates should be free from dust, smoke, and intrusion, and everything used should be kept scrupulously clean, since a very small speck of dirt, which may be almost invisible to the naked eye, will assume unpleasant proportions under the microscope, and not only mar, but possibly spoil a fine and delicate preparation.

Few students on commencing to work with the microscope will fully realise the fact that under medium or high powers the natural appearance of almost all objects is changed by the refractive nature of the fluid medium in which they are immersed and which enters more or less into their composition. The remarkable changes effected by the law of diffusion, when alkaloid substances enter into their composition, show the necessity of taking every precaution in the employment of preservative fluids. Glycerine affords an example of the chemical change induced, should the preparation have been passed through an alkaline solution.

Air Bubbles are a constant source of annoyance both in preparing and mounting. These may be removed from the specimen by gently warming the under part of the slide over a spirit lamp, or placing the slide in the warm chamber, when the bubbles will move towards the edge of the cover-glass and ultimately disappear. The air-pump is preferred by many microscopists.