Hoyer’s medium is a tried and proven medium for mounting specimens on a microscope slide. It has several beneficial properties, two of which are an index of refraction (refractive index) that minimizes distortion when a specimen is mounted with it is viewed through an optical microscope, and it provides a permanent base preserving specimens over the long term, achieving what is in effect a permanent mount. Hoyer’s medium also has preservative and clearing properties, allowing for a one-step technique, where a specimen coated with it can be dissected under a microscope in situ, leaving the specimen in Hoyer’s medium which will preserve the specimen and clear it over time – particularly useful to Entomologists. It is non-toxic in handling and breathing (refer to SDS for ingestion toxicity), with low order.