290 Harris: A new method of staining elastic tissue. XVIII, 3. 



mit Forraol gegerbte Gelatine auch noch zu Objectträgern, 

 Demonstrationsmodellen etc. verwendbar ist. 



Berlin, am 11. November 1901. 



[Eingegangen am 12. November 1901.] 



A new method of stamme; elastic tissue. 



CD 



By 

 H. F. Harris, M. D. 



Atalanta. Georgia, V. S. A. 



As a result of a series of accidents I recently discovered the 

 fact that hsematein Solutions, when prepared in a certain way, have 

 a remarkable affinity for elastin , and that this substance may be 

 differentiated clearly from other tissues by the employment of the 

 peculiar stain in question ; and inasmueh as the results obtained by 

 its use appear to be in some particulars superior to those gotten 

 by Weigert's method in my work the former has been recently 

 usually substituted for the latter. The stain is made in the follow- 

 ing manner: haematoxylin 0'2 g; aluminium chloride (VI g; 50 per 

 cent alcohol 100 cc. Dissolve the haematoxylin and aluminium chlo- 

 ride, and then carefully bring the Solution to a boil : 0*6 g of mer- 

 curic oxide is now slowly added, and as soon as the mixture assumes 

 a dark purple color it is removed from the tlame and cooled rap- 

 idly. The stain is iiltered , and one drop of hydrochloric acid is 

 added. A short time after cooling a flocculent precipitate is some- 

 times formed in the Solution : this is immediately dissolved lipon the 

 addition of the hydrochloric acid. The stain shonld then be set 

 aside for some weeks , as it will not, as :\ rule , give satisfactory 

 results at once. I have not been able to find tbe reason for this, 

 but the change does not appear to depend upon the continued ab- 

 sorption of oxygen by the hasmatein, for the reason that no degree 

 of artificial oxidation seems to quicken the result. It must be ad- 

 mitted that the stain is somewhat capricious in its „ripening", but 

 after this has been once accomplished it appears to keep indefinitely. 



