[Nhcoll-l] Refixing, Ward's solution, and other problems with old specimen

[Jade Keehn]

Greetings,

This year, our department is working to revamp a historic fish and herp
collection in various states of disrepair. We have been diligently sifting
through the curatorial literature to prepare for this process; however,
there are a few things we could use some advice on. Hopefully, there are a
few knowledgeable wet collection curators who can answer some questions
before we begin our assessment and treatment of this valuable collection.

Our first question regards refixing museum specimens. A number of amphibs
are in rather "soggy" condition and we are considering injecting them with
10% formalin before  returning them to ethanol solution. This 'refixing'
process was mentioned in a 1978 ASIH museum practices document, but we
haven't seen it discussed in anything more recent. Are there any potential
disadvantages to refixing specimens to improve specimen quality/ longevity?

The herpetological collection is currently labeled using Resistall paper.
The literature indicates that this paper type may result in an
acidic/damaging pH. Is there another labeling paper that is recommended for
use?

A number of specimens have been preserved using Ward's solution. Are there
any potential concerns or treatment procedures needed before transferring
these specimens into ethanol (75%)? Secondly, is there any reason to worry
about the condition of cleared and stained specimens, assuming they are
still submerged in fluid?

Thanks in advance for the advice!



Jade Keehn and James Simmons
Assistant Museum Curators
Museum of Natural History
University of Nevada, Reno
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20150909/30831dbe/attachment.html