Fluid Preservation
A Comprehensive Reference
2nd Edition
Will be published approx. on 22. January 2026
Book
Hardback
328 pages
979-8-216-36672-0 (ISBN)
Description
This revised edition of Fluid Preservation: A Comprehensive Reference has been updated with a wealth of new research published during the last decade on preserving specimens in alcohol, formaldehyde, and other fluids. The text includes an expanded comprehensive bibliography and sections on managing fluid-preserved collections, determining preservative concentration, storage environments, preservation history and techniques, anatomical preparations, health and safety, fluid-preserved specimens in art and history museums, and cultural interpretations of fluid preservation in art, literature, and film. Although fluid preservation has been practiced for more than 350 years, Fluid Preservation: A Comprehensive Reference remains the only reference that thoroughly summarizes current knowledge about this complex and often confusing topic.
More details
Edition
2nd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
31 bw images, 24 tables
Dimensions
Height: 256 mm
Width: 180 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
839 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-216-36672-0 (9798216366720)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
John E. Simmons (B.S., Systematics and Ecology; M.A., Museum Studies) worked as a zoo keeper before becoming a collection manager at the California Academy of Sciences and later at the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas, where he also served as Director of the Museum Studies Program until 2007. He has published more than 150 papers and books on museology and the care of collections, particularly for natural history. Since 2008, Simmons has run Museologica, an international museum consulting service, and has taught workshops and university classes on the care of collections in the U.S. and abroad.
Content
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Boxes
List of Tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1. History of Fluid Preservation
History of Ethyl Alcohol
The Discovery of Preservation of Specimens in Ethyl Alcohol
Instructions for Preserving Specimens in Fluids up to 1800
Instructions for Preserving Specimens in Fluids 1800 to 1900
The Introduction of Formaldehyde
Botanical Fluid Preservation after about 1900
Instructions for Preserving Specimens in Fluids after 1900
Other Fluid Preservatives
Summary
Chapter 2. Fixation
Formaldehyde
Commercial Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde as a Fixative and Preservative
Factors that Affect Fixation
Time and Penetration Rate and Depth
Temperature
Tissue Structure and Composition
Buffering and Fixative pH Range
Concentration
Formaldehyde and the Preservation of DNA
Botanical Fixatives
Narcotization
Fixatives for Botanical Specimens
Lipids and Fixation
Formaldehyde and Field Work
Post-Formaldehyde Fixation Washing
Unwanted Effects of Formaldehyde
Gluteraldehyde
Aldehyde Safety
Alternative and Proprietary Fixatives
Summary
Chapter 3. Preservation
Preservation without Fixation
Transfer between Fluids
Preservative Quality
Botanical Uses of Fluid Preservation
Glycerin
Isopropyl Alcohol
Fluid Preservation of DNA
Evaporation
Anatomical and Histological Fluid Preparations
Mounting Specimens Inside Containers
Glycol, Phenol, and Phenoxetol as Preservatives
Mineral Oil
Universal Fixatives
Criteria for Evaluating Alternative Fixative and Preservative Fluids
Chapter 4. Effects of Fixatives and Preservatives on Specimens
Changes in Body Dimensions and Biomass
Changes in Color
Solvent Extraction by Fixatives and Preservatives
Chapter 5. Managing Fluid-preserved Collections
Standard Operating Procedures
Monitoring Containers, Specimens, and Fluid Preservatives
Monitoring the Storage Environment
Integrated Pest Management
Curators, Collection Managers, and Others
Fluid-Preserved Collection Facilities
Identification of Fluid Preservatives
Determining Fluid Concentration
pH of Preservative Solutions
Preparing Fixatives and Preservatives
Containers and Seals
Labeling
The Storage Environment
Use of Specimens
Topping Up and Replacing Preservatives
Why do Closures Fail?
Microbial Growth in Fluid Collections-Detection and Remediation
Rehabilitation of Fluid-Preserved Collections
Rehydration of Fluid-Preserved Specimens
Moving Fluid-Preserved Collections
Exhibition of Fluid-Preserved Specimens
Old Containers and Old Specimens
Repair of Damaged Fluid-Preserved Specimens
Health and Safety
Alcohol Safety
Formaldehyde Safety
Fire Prevention and Detection
Disaster Preparedness Plans for Fluid-Preserved Collections
Summary
Chapter 6. Fluid-preserved Collections as Cultural Patrimony
Why Preserve Specimens in Fluid?
The Fluid-preserved Human
Fond Memories of Fluid Preservation
Fluid Preservation in Visual Art
Fluid Preservation in Literature
Fluid Preservation in Film
Fluid Preservation in Popular Culture
The Aesthetics and Importance of Fluid Preservation
Literature Cited
Reference Tables
Appendix: Other Fluid Preservation LiteratureIndex
About the Author
List of Figures
List of Boxes
List of Tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1. History of Fluid Preservation
History of Ethyl Alcohol
The Discovery of Preservation of Specimens in Ethyl Alcohol
Instructions for Preserving Specimens in Fluids up to 1800
Instructions for Preserving Specimens in Fluids 1800 to 1900
The Introduction of Formaldehyde
Botanical Fluid Preservation after about 1900
Instructions for Preserving Specimens in Fluids after 1900
Other Fluid Preservatives
Summary
Chapter 2. Fixation
Formaldehyde
Commercial Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde as a Fixative and Preservative
Factors that Affect Fixation
Time and Penetration Rate and Depth
Temperature
Tissue Structure and Composition
Buffering and Fixative pH Range
Concentration
Formaldehyde and the Preservation of DNA
Botanical Fixatives
Narcotization
Fixatives for Botanical Specimens
Lipids and Fixation
Formaldehyde and Field Work
Post-Formaldehyde Fixation Washing
Unwanted Effects of Formaldehyde
Gluteraldehyde
Aldehyde Safety
Alternative and Proprietary Fixatives
Summary
Chapter 3. Preservation
Preservation without Fixation
Transfer between Fluids
Preservative Quality
Botanical Uses of Fluid Preservation
Glycerin
Isopropyl Alcohol
Fluid Preservation of DNA
Evaporation
Anatomical and Histological Fluid Preparations
Mounting Specimens Inside Containers
Glycol, Phenol, and Phenoxetol as Preservatives
Mineral Oil
Universal Fixatives
Criteria for Evaluating Alternative Fixative and Preservative Fluids
Chapter 4. Effects of Fixatives and Preservatives on Specimens
Changes in Body Dimensions and Biomass
Changes in Color
Solvent Extraction by Fixatives and Preservatives
Chapter 5. Managing Fluid-preserved Collections
Standard Operating Procedures
Monitoring Containers, Specimens, and Fluid Preservatives
Monitoring the Storage Environment
Integrated Pest Management
Curators, Collection Managers, and Others
Fluid-Preserved Collection Facilities
Identification of Fluid Preservatives
Determining Fluid Concentration
pH of Preservative Solutions
Preparing Fixatives and Preservatives
Containers and Seals
Labeling
The Storage Environment
Use of Specimens
Topping Up and Replacing Preservatives
Why do Closures Fail?
Microbial Growth in Fluid Collections-Detection and Remediation
Rehabilitation of Fluid-Preserved Collections
Rehydration of Fluid-Preserved Specimens
Moving Fluid-Preserved Collections
Exhibition of Fluid-Preserved Specimens
Old Containers and Old Specimens
Repair of Damaged Fluid-Preserved Specimens
Health and Safety
Alcohol Safety
Formaldehyde Safety
Fire Prevention and Detection
Disaster Preparedness Plans for Fluid-Preserved Collections
Summary
Chapter 6. Fluid-preserved Collections as Cultural Patrimony
Why Preserve Specimens in Fluid?
The Fluid-preserved Human
Fond Memories of Fluid Preservation
Fluid Preservation in Visual Art
Fluid Preservation in Literature
Fluid Preservation in Film
Fluid Preservation in Popular Culture
The Aesthetics and Importance of Fluid Preservation
Literature Cited
Reference Tables
Appendix: Other Fluid Preservation LiteratureIndex
About the Author