NCJ Number
162682
Journal
Science and Justice Volume: 35 Issue: 2 Dated: (April-June 1995) Pages: 109-112
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Phytohistol was tested as a new mounting medium for the forensic microscopy of textile fibers to overcome the disadvantages of xylene-based permanent mounting media.
Abstract
The disadvantages of xylene-based media include the hazards to the skin and lungs, as well as difficulties in demounting and cleaning the fibers before additional examinations such as interference microscopy. Phytohistol and five other previously untried mountants were evaluated, using information from manufacturers, visual assessment of color, and measurement of the refractive index with an Abbe refractometer. Further analysis revealed that phytohistol is colorless, water-soluble, and miscible with water and glycerine, without the health hazards of the use of xylene. It exhibits no fluorescence when fresh and does not absorb ultraviolet light. It dries out slowly and is therefore ideal for fiber removal for other forms of examination. The authors' laboratory now routinely uses it for examining fibers. Tables and 7 references (Author abstract modified)