CHAPTER XV. 



THE COAL-TAR CHKOMATIX STAINS. 

 A. Regressive Stains. 



272. Safranin. One of the most important of these stains, 

 on account of its great power,, brilliancy, and superior per- 

 manence in balsam, and also on account of the divers degrees 

 of electivity that it displays for the nuclei and other consti- 

 tuent elements of different tissues. 



The great secret of staining with safranin is tu yet a good 

 nin. It is needful here to insist most urgently on what 

 said above ( 204). Before thinking of working with 

 tin- important reagent you should go to Griibler & Hollbom 

 or to M Under, and order the safranin you want, specifying 

 whether you want it for staining nuclei or for staining elastic 

 libivs, or for what other purpose you may require it. 



There are presumably at least a score of sorts of safranin in tlie market, 

 diflVnng to a considerable extent in colour, weight, solubility, and histo- 

 logical action. Some are easily soluble in water and not so in alcohol, some 

 llic reverse, and some freely soluble in both. Fourteen brands, supplied by 

 Griibler and by Miinder, have been studied by RESEGOTTI (Ze.it. /. w/ss. 

 Mil:., v, 3, 1888, p. 320). Resegotti obtained his best results with the 

 brands ''Safranin wasserloslicb," "Safranin spiritusloslich," "XX." 

 - XXI1X," "TB." furnished by Griibler, and with the brands " Rein/' " 0," 

 " KM." .mil "Cone.," supplied by Mu.nd.M-. 



The brand I have been using for ;i long time, and which 

 gives good results, is the " Safranin " of Griibler & Co. 

 h -hoiild be remembered that as the processes of manufacture 

 are constantly changing, the properties of the products are 

 sure to vary somewhat from time to time. 



hiy. The majority of safranins are not sufficiently 



