[Rambling]

in reply to: Future IAS meetings #834

:):D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:)

Dave, what a brilliant suggestion. Having been to South Africa already this year, without the excuse of a IAS meeting, I would go again like WOW!

Enough to satisfy the vet anatomists, as well as the ‘proper’ ones.

Marise, start in Capetown, tour of the Department. The winelands sound good, ending up at Wits, for a tour of another Department. O.K

Count me in ………………………………………………………………………………………….

[Rambling]

in reply to: Future IAS meetings #830

Apologies for hogging the airwaves. Steve Gaze wrote about sending pictures from HYMS to me, or John. We acknowledge receipt of Terry’s pix.

I did submit copy and pictures from Hull to Robert Clayson, also alterations to the website, on the Friday, the second day of the Hull meeting.

Robert has been on a Mini Cooper event to Scotland, which has only just finished. He has returned to a back log of work which he has to wade through.

Hopefully the site will be updated a.s.a.p

[Rambling]

in reply to: Future IAS meetings #829

:D Hi all,

Gary’s comments are understandable, and I respect them. I would also comment that the Bank Holiday weekend is likely to be when the travel companies have a field day.

How about considering a meeting in ireland at a slightly different time, i.e the start of the vacation?

I concede that Dublin is the most expensive city in Europe. However, as Terry and John both make the point the meeting could be integrated into a ‘Ireland Holiday’ as Julie and I did with the TCD meeting in 2006 when we took the car over, then did County Cork and the South.

Keele is undoubted a cheaper option. It is also a ‘new department’ to me, as was HYMS. perhaps there is mileage in the cheap(er) meeting one year not incurring air flights, followed the following year by a more expensive meeting.

I am delighted to see the Council area of the Forum used for this correspondence

[Rambling]

in reply to: Proposed new WEL for Formaldehyde by HSE #817

:) An excellent example of the success of the Forum. Sue points out a problem on Tuesday, Dave hopefully has solved it on Thursday, with a little bit of help on the way from other members.

Hope you enjoyed the holiday Dave

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in reply to: Spring 2010 Meeting #807

Steve, Not sure how many Council members actually are in receipt of these posts.

My own very quick thoughts on the Spring meeting are:

a) that we are obliged, unless the constitution/ rules are rewritten, to hold our AGM at the Spring Meeting

b) I feel sure that Steve Franey, currently on holiday, could magic up the 2010 meeting at KCL, though it seems a shame to omit the publicised Cardiff – possibly make Cardiff one day, with less work for in house staff.

c) I am not sure of the potential of the combined meeting – my experience is that BACA meetings are far more research orientated involving Anatomy Demonstrators and Research workers in far greater numbers than we normally aspire to. The Anatomical Meeting that I attended at Egham had an attendance slightly more than us – certainly not the force that the ASGBI was when I joined Kings in 1960 – pre IAS and pre BACA.

d) There are areas, as you mention, that would do well to be discussed by representatives of all the societies though I am not sure that Bequesting, Preservation Techniques and HTA matters in general would justify a joint meeting of all three societies. I ask myself whether Prof Ellis and his band of KCL Demonstrators – staunch supporters of BACA – would enthuse about attending a combined meeting with the agenda as above. A London based ‘workshop’ open to members of all three societies may be a better suggestion.

That is my very rapid response, possibly more posted to see how many Council Members receive the post – and hopefully will respond.

Love to Liz and Ruby x

[Rambling]

in reply to: Proposed new WEL for Formaldehyde by HSE #806

;) Thank God for retirement. I note that the document also mentions phenol. I guess that embalming will eventually be outlawed and everyone will be using fresh frozen material soon. With all the acronyms I personally guess that it is all British Acceptable Legal Limits for Staff.

[Rambling]

in reply to: Soft embalming #801

:) We too used a minimum of formalin. Following an initial small amount of our regular fluid we then changed to a fluid containing two parts of glycerine, two parts of IMS, two parts of water and one part of phenol. We embalmed a body when it suited us, we did not chill / freeze a body first.

This fluid worked well to preserve for a limited time, with reasonable movement of joints, giving a more life like ‘feel’ to the body.

Dave’s comment about making up one’s own fluid, and experimenting to make it work, is very valid. Total reliance on a commercially available embalming fluid, whilst convenient, allows no degree of flexibility.

HOWEVER

given the ease nowdays of obtaining fresh material legally for operative techniques, one wonders whether this ultimately may be a route to follow, negating the use of potentially very hazardous chemicals. A fresh frozen knee joint for example, for carrying out surgical procedures, is far more acceptable than using a chemically preserved joint. ;)

[Rambling]

in reply to: Test of Council Forum #790

:) Hopefully, this will get to everyone now.

Spoke to Robert last night and have modified every Council member’s account.

Unable to alter Tracy’s (who has received the most recent test message) Jes’s or Kate’s who have changed their passwords – for something more memorable! Please get them to e.mail me on d.farr@tiscali.co.uk

Please send back to me a.s.a.p, by pressing reply – what the weather is like where you are, and the date you received the prompt to a Council message on the Forum.

Thanks don

[Rambling]

in reply to: Test of Council Forum #785

:) :( ;) :X :P :D :? :shock: :cool: :dude:

TEST

Where has the sun gone? It was here yesterday

Please acknowledge that you have received this, by using the reply button and adding a few choice words

thanks d x

[Rambling]

in reply to: Test of Council Forum #782

Thankyou John, hope you are feeling recovered following Friday’s meeting

The web site is now as up to date as it can be, following Fridays’ meeting – unless you tell me otherwise ……..

Despite sitting next to Steve Franey I forgot to photograph him for inclusion on the site, sorry Steve – next time, and Rachel was not there – should see her at HYMNS

Hopefully Kate will be able to use this, at one click, to update us on important things like how Ruby is doing!

Look out for posts from username RubyG

Thanks again to Robert Clayson for his valued assistance

[Rambling]

in reply to: Liverpool #779

:) Liverpool was an excellent venue. The organisation and speakers were superb, the entertainment on the Thursday night was memorable. The AGM was well supported.

If you were not there you missed a treat.

If you were there please send your comments, and pictures, to Steve Gaze. He can then get them put straight onto the web site.

Why Steve, and not me? Retirement has allowed me to swan off to Crete immediately after our return from Liverpool, – well, someone has to do it! ;)

p.s Thanks to the IAS for the awards to John Ben and myself, of very excellent bottles of malt whisky, to acknowledge our achievement in gaining points equivalent to a second Fellowship.

[Rambling]

in reply to: Refurbished Dissecting Tables #776

Hi Gary,

Just before I retired from King’s we instructed a firm to refurbish all of our tables, a number in the range of 50 rotating tables. I am sure that Kirsty will advise you of the present status of this contract and details of the firm. Contact her on kirsty.thomson@kcl.ac.uk I am sure there are similar contractors north of the border.

Using this firm, and getting an independent engineer’s certificate that each table was safe for use in the DR, was a relief to us, and satisfied Health and Safety requirements at the time.

[Rambling]

in reply to: potting courses/Equipment needed and space needed to make pots #768

Reply from PaulD, sent via the webmaster:

Hi Rachel,

In relation to your query here are a few points that may help you, with the likely main equipment you will need:

If you are intending making perspex boxes from scratch you will need a circular saw for cutting the perspex to size, with capability to ajust the height of the blade (of course the operator will need to be correctly trained in the use of the saw).

If you are intending making tombstone or fenton style boxes you will need a heat strip or perspex bending box. If you are intending to made square boxes you will need a box preparation frame to give a right angle for sealing/gluing, this can be brought or made in-house easily.

You can buy pre-made boxes to a range of sizes, or pre-cut perspex box pieces for self assembly in some scientific suppliers catalogues.

For glueing and sealing perspex boxes, and tops if removed, you can use a range of sealers – I have used tensol 12, but I believe this is hard to get now but a similar product called RS Cast Acrylic Bonder – AB1, 250ml from – RS Components work just as well. For glass pots a silicon sealer will be needed – such as for fish tanks, available from most pet shops.

‘Plasweld’fluid has also been recommended in some faculties as a safer alternative to Chloroform (per comm John Ben), which was routinely used in the past as a method of glueing and sealing perspex boxes. ‘Plasweld’ still needs to be used in a fume cabinet and is used in the same way as Chloroform, with the use of a glass base plate for placement of box, and a pipette to apply the ‘Plasweld’ and pins for slight raised box placement to allow for capillary take-up of the Plasweld fluid.

A fume cabinent should be used for opening boxes/pots, gluing and sealing.

A storage area for the perspex – sheets generally are supplied in large sizes (1.5m x 1.5m) although you can get smaller.

A sander and polisher for final sanding down and shaping and polishing the boxes prior to specimen fitment and filling, a range of polishing soaps will also be required. Try to buy a combined sander and polisher if possible, and one that has a dust collect fitment – it saves a lot of cleaning work later.

A working bench with a clean area, wet area for filling – ideally with catch drain, a large belfast sink or similar and area for the fume cabinet and sander / polisher (ideally the latter should be away from the other areas.

Perpex sheets of varying thickness from 1mm to 6mm will be a good starter (the bigger the specimen the bigger the box and the stronger it needs to be) and specimen backing plate perspex.

A drill ideally fixed in a standing frame for straight clean holes and a set of drill bits with a wide free space to facilitate the top of tall boxes being able to be drill.

10lt containers for mounting solution (Judan 3 or similar) with connection piping from outlet tap decreasing in diameter to the size of the filling hole top plate(2mm – 4mm.

Shelves to hold filled mounting solution container, ideally with a safety guard to keep them in place.

Wiping and cleaning material to remove excess mounting fluid from finished boxes.

If you are only intending maintaining existing boxes then you may not need the circular saw or heat strip or perspex bending box.

In terms of the space you will need, this will be dependent on the equipment and workbench requirements, number of boxes you are thinking of making and/or maintaining and storage area for perspex sheeting, but you will need to allow sufficent walking and working room to get around the equipment (cutting large sheets will need two people)and work benches to work safely, at minimum I would say a full potting lab would need to be
around 5m x 10m (depended of equipment and benches sizes), and closed off from other labs and working areas.

If you have glass pots you will need glass cutting drill bits and glass sealer, however, you need to be sure of the solution the specimen has been mounted in prior to undertaking any maintenance work of them, some early mounting solution are harmful and may contain nasties!!

There are other items that you will need but as a starter for 10 this is the main equipment requirements likely for a working potting lab.

Regards

Paul

[Rambling]

in reply to: Porti Boy Embalming pump #757

CliveW has sent two replies to this thread, via the webmaster;

Dodge will supply a porti boy, but they also have their own version which is the one I use every day, personally I find it a a better machine, I find it easier to use, and it does not have the glass tank on top, instead it has an internal tank, best regards Clive

and

Dodge also do a woofer, it is really a garden sprayer that can be pressurised by hand or by an external pump, the fluid does not come into contact with any moving parts and thus phenol is of no problem, I used one for many years with no problems, I have been embalming for 30 years and only changed to the dodge pump because of the high pressure it can be used at. Hope this helps Regards Clive

Perhaps Clive could reply directly to the Forum, but thanks for the replies

[Rambling]

in reply to: Health affects of formaldyhyde #756

;) One of the wonderful results of retirement is NOT having to deal any longer, with well meaning Health and Safety advisors.

Welcome to the 21st century! :D

Since the mid 80’s Formalin, and Formalin awareness has been the subject of countless IAS talks at meetings, so Rachel’s recent introduction is nothing new.

I am willing to be a guinea pig for any research into the effects of formalin. I worked with the dreaded substance for 45 years, as well as Phenol, assh welll az alcchole. I, to the best of my knowledge am well, with little detrimental effects.

Eric, my porter at Kings, is still well and enjoying retirement. His health problems were probably existing before he spent 15 years in Anatomy but he has been retired an unbelievable 9 years, and celebrates his 74th birthday at the end of this month.

My predecessor, Sid Hogwood, worked 50 years at Kings, with very little in the way of personal protection, mixing fluids in buckets- splash and dash, and died relatively recently, well over 90 years of age; having enjoyed a long and active retirement.

Perhaps formalin has some positive effects? Do not lose perspective

I did have regular health checks, initially arranged by Professor John Pegington at U.C.H. I arranged occupational health checks for my staff and hope that they continue to date, despite political questions as to who should pay for the facility!

Good luck Rachel!

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