THE TECHNIQUE OF MAKING A TEMPORARY MOUNT

Place a drop or two of water (or reagent) in the center of a clean glass slide.  

With the aid of a forceps take the section or very small quantity of the material to be examined and spread it on the drop of water. 

Place a clean cover-glass over the material. In placing the cover-glass do not drop it flat upon the drop of water, but place one side of it down first and allow it to squeeze the water along under it. 

When filamentous algae or molds are to be examined, the material tends to cling together and must be carefully separated, in the drop of water, with dissection needles before the cover glass is placed over the material. In case a coarse ground drug is to be mounted the coarser particles should be first crushed in the water on the slide and subsequently teased apart with dissection needles. 

Care should always be taken to see that the water or mounting medium used is not contaminated with foreign substances. This can best be practiced by examining the mounting medium under the microscope before the material to be examined is placed in it. 

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