Spirit Collections

[Karsten Hartel]

On Fri, 25 Aug 1995 13:42:25 -0500, T.K. Wilson wrote:

>Alan Harvey wrote:
>> ... could someone explain the difference between
>> "fixation" and "preservation"?
>In museum
>collections "preservation" is only required.  However, if microscope
>slides are to be made of the tissue, then "fixation" is required
>first as the fixing/preservation fluids interact with subsequent
>staining.

I and many others will disagree.  For curation of vertebrates there is a
two part process, fixation and storage in a preservative.  Depending on the
use of the material the storage material may or may not be the same.  See
papers on the BBC gopher under ASIH Curation muse.bio.cornell.edu

Karsten E. Hartel
  Curatorial Associate, Fishes
  hartel at mcz.harvard.edu
  (617)495-2477