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

[Bentley, Andrew Charles]

Hi Jade

I would concur with all the comments made so far that your major concern would be detrimental osmotic changes to the specimens.  I had never heard of Ward’s solution (and apparently neither had John Simmons as there is no mention of it in his book – probably because it is not a preservative usually associated with specimens) but I did find an MSDS online for the solution - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.lakeland.edu_PDFs_MSDS_1332_Ward-2DSafe-2520Packing-2520Fluid-2520-2528Wards-2529.pdf&d=AwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=p73XbT7yhpnL9Wpr7ympluasx_gNYl7Z4KYqKb8acSI&s=d-TvWsi8GR5eJAZLRKAexYQ_PpzYVC39aSzBuaKNC4o&e= 

It appears to be a small amount of methyl alcohol (2.87%) mixed with water and some other ingredients and as such would not be recommended due to the low concentration of preservative.  For comparison we usually work with concentrations of 70% ethanol or 50% isopropanol in collections so this represents a very low concentration that would not prevent mold growth.  Given this I would recommend the step up approach outlined by Dirk and others and may suggest some formaldehyde in the first step as a precaution.

In terms of labelling, yes, Resistall paper is acidic and will eventually cause problems.  The printing mechanism of choice now is the thermal transfer printer system sold by Alpha Systems together with the spun bound polyester media and ribbon – see attached.  There is a fairly large investment up front for the printer but the labels pay for themselves in durability and longevity.  We have been using this system in our collection for about 15 years now and have been very happy with the results.  We have seen no deterioration of labels over that time (no fading, no cracking, no brittleness etc.).  They are also virtually indestructible and do not leach anything into the alcohol.

Hope that helps

Andy

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Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager
University of Kansas
Biodiversity Institute
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
USA

Tel: (785) 864-3863
Fax: (785) 864-5335
Email: abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu&d=AwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=p73XbT7yhpnL9Wpr7ympluasx_gNYl7Z4KYqKb8acSI&s=7aSTFQX7maKqllYOKX0iOGdtRUzybVmQ1MoBA-F7zP0&e= <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu_&d=AwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=p73XbT7yhpnL9Wpr7ympluasx_gNYl7Z4KYqKb8acSI&s=bOMUR3-xFVwmNKdXt9Fe_PUbpvUCxXhWE8_aX9bXAJE&e= >

SPNHC President
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.spnhc.org&d=AwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=p73XbT7yhpnL9Wpr7ympluasx_gNYl7Z4KYqKb8acSI&s=3FsRBFdFQbZZmzD9VjnXCG969tWvxQnD6UsjPP0hYi8&e= <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.spnhc.org_&d=AwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=p73XbT7yhpnL9Wpr7ympluasx_gNYl7Z4KYqKb8acSI&s=1Mgn7umm5ZEuyeM0_DvTRJyafEBO_5LoJfTcPeotr04&e= >

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From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Jade Keehn
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2015 8:32 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Cc: Chris Feldman <ophis at unr.edu>; jimmythesaint98 at hotmail.com
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Refixing, Ward's solution, and other problems with old specimen

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
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