Doncaster Microscopical Society
The eleventh ordinary meeting of the above society was held on Wednesday evening, the 20th instant, the Rev. Canon Brock (president) in the chair.
Mr. Tindall was elected a member of the society.
Mr. Stiles (hon. Sec.) read a paper on “The preparation & staining of wood sections”
The process of cutting these was fully described and all details connected with it explained both verbally and experimentally.
Before being stained, wood sections required bleaching, and attention was drawn to the usual method of doing this. The purpose of staining is two-fold, not only is the natural beauty of the object greatly increased, but also its minute structure is much more permanently brought out.
Thus, when two colours are used in staining a section of a young stem of oak, the woody portion of the stem will take one colour, and the pith and bark another; and this selection of colours is of considerable value in studying the structure, and determining the constituents of a stem.
The lecturer gave a detailed account of the processes of single and double staining in various colours, illustrating his paper by the exhibition of several objects treated in this way.
The meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to Mr. Stiles, proposed by the president, and seconded by Mr. Branson.
The next (conversational) meeting will be held on May 4th.
[Doncaster, Nottingham & Lincoln Gazette, 29 April, 1881]