STAINING, PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL 



2. Rinse in water. 



3. Mount in tap water or in Aquamount. 



Results: 



Nuclei : blue to purple. Collagen : red. Elastic tissues : green. 



Reference: Mallory, F. B. (1938), p. 152. 



TOLUIDINE BLUE 

 For acid mucopolysaccharides 



Solutions required: 



A. Toluidine blue, I % aqueous .. i ml. 

 Distilled water . . . . . . 99 ml. 



B. Ammonium molybdate, 5% 



aqueous (freshly prepared) 



C. Potassium ferricyanide, I % 



aqueous (freshly prepared) 



D. Reagent B i volume 



Reagent C . . . . . . . . i volume 



Technique: 



1. Fix pieces of tissue in Zenker or in 10% formalin and embed 

 in paraffin wax in the usual way. 



2. Fix sections to slides; dewax and carry through to 70% 

 alcohol. 



3. If Zenker's fluid has been used, treat sections for the removal 

 of mercurial precipitate in the usual way. 



4. Wash in distilled water. 



5. Stain in the dilute toluidine blue solution for five to fifteen 

 minutes. 



Note: This is to prevent loss of metachromasia which would 

 otherwise occur when the sections are dehydrated in alcohol. 



6. Immerse in solution D for 15 minutes. 



7. Rinse well in distilled water. 



8. Dehydrate rapidly. 



440 



