Under the same conditions of turbidity (transmittance = 50%) the average amounts of feces per unit smear area are increased when diluents with high refractive indices are substituted for water. Such increments, calculated as factors, were on the average: 3.17 for 54% sucrose (n = 1.438); 1.95 for 50% glycerol (n = 1.411); and 1.50 for 30% sucrose (n = 1.385) aqueous solutions. Photoelectric absorptiometry was found adequate for evaluating the efficiency of fecal smear clearing processes.
Fecal smears; Clearing; Refractive index; Absorptiometry
