[NHCOLL-L:2950] RE: Bouin's solution

[Simmons, John E]

Jamie,
The standard recipe for Bouin's solution is 150 cc ethanol, 60 cc
formaldehyde, 15 cc acetic acid, and 1 g picric acid.  This makes the
solution about 27% formaldehyde.  If you don't have any information
about what recipe was used to mix the solution, you should assume that
it is close to that.  The biggest problem is the picric acid, which when
dry is very explosive.  You need to keep a very close eye on the fluid
to prevent it from dehydrating.  Once the acid dries, just picking up a
container can be a sufficient jolt to make it explode.

I know of nothing in the literature about switching specimens from
Bouin's to another solution.  We have a couple of jars of lizards here
that were preserved in Bouin's Solution that we keep as-is, adding
ethanol from time to time to prevent evaporation.

There is no information I am aware of about the long-term effects of
preservation in Bouin's Solution, either.

I would definitely not ship the specimens in Bouin's solution unless you
follow the regulations for shipping picric acid.  In my opinion, it
would probably be best to pass the specimens through several washes of
70% ETOH and have a chemist check the washing solutions to see if
significant amounts of picric acid are still coming out of the specimen.
The Bouin's Solution and washes will have to be disposed of as hazardous
waste.

--John

John E. Simmons
Collection Manager, Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Research
Center
and
Director, Museum Studies Program
University of Kansas
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561
Telephone 785-864-4508; FAX 785-864-5335
jsimmons at ku.edu
www.nhm.ku.edu/herpetology/
www.ku.edu/~museumst/


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of James B. Ladonski
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 3:10 PM
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:2947] Bouin's solution

Hi everyone,

We have a collection of reptiles that recently came to us in Bouin's 
solution.  For the time being we are keeping them in this solution vs. 
transferring them to 70% ethanol.  Can anyone offer references,
experience, 
or insight as to the "correct" thing to do with these specimens?

Should they stay in Bouin's?  What are the potential long-term effects?
Or 
should we transfer them to ethanol and if so, should they be stepped up
as 
if they were in formalin?

Finally, we have a request pending to borrow one of the specimens.  For 
shipping purposes, can the specimen be temporarily moved to ethanol, or 
should it remain in Bouin's for transit and in the care of the borrower?

Thanks in advance for your help.



Mr. James B. Ladonski
Assistant Collections Manager
Division of Amphibians and Reptiles
The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL  60605-2496  USA
phone:  312-665-7722
fax:  312-665-7697
email:  jladonski at fieldmuseum.org
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/research_collections/zoology/divisions_amphib
ians.htm