A starch injection mass.

  • Wilder, Burt G. (Burt Green), 1841-1925.
Date:
[1885]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A starch injection mass. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    A STARCH INJECTION MASS.' (To replace pp. 139-140. Wilder and Gage's Anatomical Technology.) A coarse injection mass which is cold-flowing, may be forced nearly to the capillaries, rapidly hardens after injection, leaves the vessels flexible, does not dull dissecting instruments, is suitable for permanent dry or alco- holic preparations, is simple in its manipulation, cleanly and economical, seems to be fully realized in the starch mass introduced by Ad. Pansch of Kiel, and since recommen led, with various modifications, by Wikszemski, Dalla Rosa, Meyer, and Browning. 3 Mass for Ordinary Injecftions : ^,4 5 Dry starch ('' laundry is good) 100 cc. Water or a 2^ per cent, aqueous solution of chloral hydrate, 100 cc. 95 percent, alcohol, 25 cc. Color mixture, see below, 25 cc. After thoroughly mixing the mass Ft should be filtered through one or two thicknesses of moistened paper cambric. To prevent tlie starch from settling, the cloth should be tilted from side to side or the mass may be stirred during the filtration. If the mass is not freshly prepared for every injection, the stock mass should be filtered occasionally to remove hair or any other object that might clog the cannula. Since almost any animal injected may aflord some organ worth preserv- ing, it seems better to employ permanent colors for lingeing the mass. Among those which are available, probably vermilion, red lead, ultrama- rine, Berlin blue, chrome orange, yellow, or green, are preferable. 1. The directions here given are but slightly modified from those given by Prof. Gage in the Neiv York Medical Joiwnal, June 7th, 1884. 2. See Ad. Pansch, Archiv fiir Anatomic und Entwickl., 1877, pp. 480-482, and 1881, pp. 76-78; Wikszemski, same journal, 1880, pp. 232-234; Dalla Rosa, same, PP.37T-377; Herni. von Meyer, same, 1882, pp. 60, 61, and 1883, pp. 265, 266; Browning, Annals of Anatomy and Surgery, 1884, pp. 24-25. 3. The chloral and alcohol prevent fermentation in the mass when it is kept in stock; the alcohol also increases the fluidity and likewise the more rapid hardening in the vessels; both, of course, act as preservatives upon the animal injected. 4. The mass originally recommended by Pansch consisted of wheat-flour and cold water, to which was added a sufficient qxiantity of the desired coloring matter. Later experiments have shown that pure starch is better than flour. 5. As starch is insoluble in alcohol and cold water, it becomes hard when injected into the blood-vessels simply by the exudation of the licjuid with which it is mixed. That the starch grains forming the mass remain entirely unchanged may be easily demonstrated by making a microscopic examination of the con- tents of an injected vcs.scl.