endeavor to replace them in ourselves and the public, by just and rational views of the operative proceedings of our art. 5. Under the designation of "conservative surgery," there is at present an endeavor at reforms in operative surgery, which commends itself, most urgently, to the co-operation of all wise and conscientious practitioners. Respectfully submitted by J. B. FLINT, Chairman. A METHOD FOR PRESERVING MEMBRANOUS PATHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. TO THE COMMITTEE ON VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS, DRS. BOHRER, FLINT, AND HARGRAVES. GENTLEMEN: I submit for your consideration the following method of preserving pathological specimens of a membranous kind, which I have used with success for the past three years, in which less alteration of the parts occurs than in any other method with which I am acquainted. The specimen is well washed in cold water; it is then cut, so as to be stretched upon a pane of ordinary window glass. The side to be applied to the glass is to be lightly sprinkled with arsenic. The free surface is to be thickly powdered with arsenic, and the specimen is then to be kept in the shade, and, as the arsenic becomes absorbed, more is to be sprinkled on, until it becomes dry. After that, a coat of white varnish is put over the whole. I present for inspection, specimens from two different subjects of the morbid lesions of typhoid fever. One set was prepared in July, 1855, now nearly three years since. The second was prepared about three months since. Last summer I prepared thin slices of a cirrhosed liver in this manner, and had every reason to believe this method might be applied successfully to parenchymatous specimens, as well as to membranous ones. Unfortunately, they were taken away by some person unknown to me. The specimens presented are those of the lesions of typhoid fever, and were prepared in the following manner : The intestine was cut on its omental edge, then washed; a little |