[Nhcoll-l] Advice on removing specimens from glass tubes

Mon Feb 28 15:09:13 EST 2022

I agree with John that these specimens will be difficult to house in any other way (in jars) due to their shape and fixation - unless they were only preserved in alcohol and can be manipulated (coiled).

For storage I would think the best option would be to get a block of ethafoam and using a hot wire or tool, create channels into which the tubes could be placed that will protect them from damage or breakage.  The ethafoam block could be placed into a drawer in a cabinet to protect from other agents of deterioration.

Andy
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Andy Bentley
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University of Kansas
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From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of John E Simmons
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2022 2:00 PM
To: Luisa Zamora Chavez <lzamorac at asu.edu>
Cc: NHCOLL-new <Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Advice on removing specimens from glass tubes

This technique was published in Turtox News 15(10:129 in October of 1937 in an anonymous short article with the title "A method of displaying snakes." The article includes a photograph of a rack holding a number of long tubes with preserved snakes stretched out in them, sent in by "Professor John M. Frazier of the State Teachers College, Hattiesburg Mississippi." Prof. Frazier reported that "The snakes are injected with formalin-alcohol preservative and are hardened instraight and extended position. They are then inserted in the glass tubes, the ends of which are sealed with cork or rubber stoppers and coated with paraffin after the tubes have been completely filled with the preserving solution."

There were several "formalin-alcohol preservative" mixtures that were popular at the time, the idea being that you could reduce the two-steps of fixation and preservation into one. These mixtures were not successful because the chemical actions of the formaldehyde and alcohol interfered with each other, resulting in uneven preservation as tissues were dehydrated. For example, one mixture called for 95ml of 70% ETOH and 5 ml of formaldehyde; another for 50 parts alcohol, 5 parts formaldehyde, and 45 parts water. It may also refer to what was more commonly called FAA, which was formaldehyde, alcohol, and acetic acid.

You cannot tell just by looking what solution the specimens are in, but I expect it is alcohol due to the discoloration (formaldehyde does not extract lipids as readily as alcohol). However, I would handle these as if they did contain formaldehyde and take appropriate precautions until you are sure. The problem with re-housing the specimens will be that they are going to be very stiff and it will be difficult to coil them up without damaging them. If they are not leaking, and you do not need to remove the specimens for examination, I would leave them as they are but house the tubes in a way that will reduce the chance of breakage, such as in a box or tray with half-rounds of cardboard to keep them from rolling or touching each other. They are an excellent example of an old technique that was rather quaint.

Any idea when the specimens were preserved?

--John

John E. Simmons
Writer and Museum Consultant
Museologica
and
Associate Curator of Collections
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery
Penn State University
and
Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitologia
Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima

On Mon, Feb 28, 2022 at 2:02 PM Luisa Zamora Chavez <lzamorac at asu.edu<mailto:lzamorac at asu.edu>> wrote:
Hello all,

I have a few liquid-preserved snakes in glass tubes that were donated to our collections sometime ago. The tubes are sealed shut using what appears to be plastic corks, tape, and sealant. We're not sure if the liquid they're in is formalin or something other than ethanol.

I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with this sort of preservation and any advice on how to transfer the specimens to a more stable mode? We'd like to keep some of them but fear the tubes might break. We are unsure of what liquid is typically used for this type of preservation and would like to be as prepared as possible so we can safely remove them from the tubes (if that is at all possible). I have included some pictures of the specimens for reference. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Kind regards,
Luisa

--
Luisa Zamora Chavez
Pronouns: she/they
Research Technician
Arizona State University Biocollections
Lzamorac at asu.edu<mailto:Lzamorac at asu.edu>
602-737-8357
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