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The classification of central and peripheral nervous system tumors is mostly based on morphological characteristics of sections stained with aniline dyes. The author has a vast experience and draws on some 4,000 specimens, which were studied mostly by the technique of Rio Del Hortega and his classification of tumors is adhered to throughout. The reproductions are not of the highest quality but are nevertheless of great interest. It is unusual to see microphotographs of silver-impregnated sections of meningiomas, chromophobe adenomas of the pituitary gland, or fibrous astrocytomas. A useful appendix gives currently used methods for metal impregnation.
While the practical advantages of one classification of tumors over another are not readily apparent to the reviewer, it seems that nowadays the purist would rely on tissue culture technique for definite identification of those neoplasms that are not readily recognized by ordinary techniques. Undoubtedly, the grading of gliomas or the occasional difficulty