[Nhcoll-l] Wet collection best practices - historical fluids

[Erik Åhlander]

Hi,

In the collection in Stockholm (NRM) we have large material transferred from Stockholm University from the former "Zootomiska Institutet" engaged in comparing anatomy. Major issue was collecting material from 1890-1950 for sectioning and staining which leaves us to today with a large material of animals without heads. Fixation was made with (besides ethanol and formalin) with Bouin and Smith's solution (I guess its a mixture of formalin, potassium dichromate, and maybe acetic acid). I think also Zenker's fixative was sometimes used. Most of these specimens are now transferred to ethanol, but those fixed with Bouin stain the ethanol yellow also after many ethanol changes. Smith specimen are uniformely gray with no pigmentation left.

We also made experiments with storing in Phenoxytol in the mid 1970s, but the material became soft and we hade to transfer to ethanol.

Erik Åhlander
Collection Manager
Wet Collection, vertebrates
Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm (NRM)

-----Original Message-----
From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Joachim Haendel
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 10:59 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Wet collection best practices - historical fluids

Hello all,

there are some other fluids used for fixation and preservation.
(some of them are fairly dangerous):
 
Solution of Mercury dichloride (Corrosive sublimate) sometimes used for "vermes" and cnidaria,
also as part of  "Krygers preservation fluid" and "Pennaks fixative"

"Barbers solution" which contains ethanol, glacial acetic acid and benzene (!)

"Standfuss preservation fluid":  carbon disulfide, benzene and peppermint oil

and "Bouin solution" which contains also Picric acid (explosive !) in addition to formalin and lacial acetic acid.


Joachim


-- 
Joachim Haendel                                                         
Centre of Natural History Collections                                      
of the Martin-Luther-University
- Entomological Collection  -                        

Domplatz 4
D-06099 Halle (Saale)
Germany   

Phone: +49 345 - 55 26 447
Fax: +49 345 - 55 27 152
Email: joachim.haendel at zns.uni-halle.de




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