<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi Sergio,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I would endorse Dirk’s advice on this in that changing from formalin to alcohol can often dissolve the dyes in injection media. Most older specimens were injected with coloured latex and the dyes can leach out into alcohol so that you lose the staining and the specimen takes up the colour instead!</div><div class=""><br class=""><div class="">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">With all good wishes, Simon.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR<br class="">Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian,<br class=""><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.natural-2Dhistory-2Dconservation.com&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=DfVXUtpN2dD4E56kaqXcIuJJ-6tvQuEDBwFI00sfz7o&s=N_Mlgto4-xU4Ve2QGvhsnO_zRYnAw1qPjsNGbCKrZCk&e=" class="">www.natural-history-conservation.com</a> </div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class=""></div></div></div>
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<br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On 4 Nov 2017, at 19:25, Dirk Neumann <<a href="mailto:dirk.neumann@zsm.mwn.de" class="">dirk.neumann@zsm.mwn.de</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class="">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" class="">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" class="">
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Dear Sergio,<br class="">
<br class="">
I would be careful with those anatomical specimens; as we can
learn from the picture, the arteries are still vividly red - which
suggests that the holding fluid or the specimens contains heavy
metal salts to preserve the colour; Simon Moore perhaps has an
idea what was used for this staining.<br class="">
<br class="">
If you open the jars, I would do this only in a fume cupboard with
suited eye protection etc. The fluid itself looks like it would be
alcohol-based, but you should definitely test it first. (e.g. by
adding a bit alcohol and carefully watch if you see any density
differences; a test for formalin surely is recommended, too). If
mercury salts are included, dropping a 1-cent (copper) coin could
give a positive test result (mercury precipitate on the surface of
the coin), but other salts would be more difficult to detect.<br class="">
<br class="">
I have inherited a similar collection from the veterinary medicine
department of our university and for the moment I tilted the jars
(and secured them that they remain stable in this position) so
that the prepared specimen remains submerged in the remaining
fluid. Not ideal, but prevents the specimen from drying up.<br class="">
<br class="">
If you decide to open the jars, in this case a complete exchange
of the holding fluid (after testing) would be recommended. But you
should surely avoid to change the holding fluid from e.g. formalin
to alcohol.<br class="">
<br class="">
Hope this helps<br class="">
Dirk <br class="">
<br class="">
<br class="">
Am 03.11.2017 um 13:36 schrieb Sergio Montagud:<br class="">
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<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:1444246585smontagu@uv.es" class="">
<pre wrap="" class="">Dear all,
I am entomologist, but now I'm also the curator of Zoological collections of the University of Valencia. Last weeks, we received a very large collection (near 800 specimens of birds and mammals) with very old specimens of Vertebrates. Some of them, are reptiles and very bad preserved in old jars as I show in the enclose picture.
My question is how we should proceed to reubicate and disposal these exemplars? What cain of preserved fluid do you recommend?
Thank you in advance
Sergio Montagud
--
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Sergio Montagud Alario
Universitat de València
e-mail: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:sergio.montagud@uv.es">sergio.montagud@uv.es</a>
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