404 BLOOD AND GLANDS 



in acid alcohol (0-5 per cent. HCl), not in iron alum. Wash in tap- 

 water, upgrade, and mount in balsam or euparal (Gatenby). 



881. Staining of Eosinophil Granulocytes. In general the 

 granules of these cells are well stained by the dyes of the 

 Romanowsky series already mentioned. Care should be taken 

 that the pH of both the staining solution and of the distilled 

 water used is not on the alkaline side. 



The indulin-aurantia-eosin mixture of Elirlich (§ 339) gives 

 good staining of the granules. Staining may be carried out at 

 37° C. for four to five and a half hours (McClung, Microscopical 

 Technique, 1929). 



BiGGART {Journ. of Path, and Bad., xxxv, 1932, p. 799) stains 

 eosinophil cells in sections with azo-eosin 1 part in 2000. The 

 material is fixed in Bouin or mercuric chloride and sections are 

 first stained with hsematoxylin. He also uses the same dilution 

 of Biebrich scarlet after formalin fixation. 



882. Mast Cells (Basophil Granulocytes). Numerous methods 

 have been devised for staining specifically the granules of these 

 cells, though they stain readily (usually metachromatically) with 

 any basic dyes of the anilin series except pure methyl green. 

 Unna {Enzyk. mik. Technik., ii, 1910, p. 414) recommends that the 

 material be fixed in chemically pure absolute alcohol and sectioned 

 in celloidin. In the same volume (p. 72) he recommends staining 

 three hours to overnight in polychrome methylen blue with a 

 knife-pointful of alum to a watch-glass of stain, rinsing and 

 then alcohol, oil, balsam. Another method consists of staining 

 in polychrome methylen blue for fifteen minutes, rinsing, then 

 ten minutes in glycerin-ether (§ 883), washing thoroughly and 

 then alcohol, oil, balsam. 



Ehrlich (Arch. mik. Anat., xii, 1876, p. 263) stains twelve 

 hours in absolute alcohol 50 c.c, water 100 c.c, glacial acetic 

 acid 12-5 c.c, to which dahlia is added almost to saturation. He 

 washes out with alcohol and mounts in resinified turps. These 

 give a specific metachromatic stain on a light ground. 



The stain of Dominici (C. R. Soc. Biol, liv, 1902) is widely 

 used for the demonstration of mast cells, 0-3 grm. orange G and 

 0-25 grm. eosin dissolved in 50 c.c. of distilled water. He stains 

 twenty to thirty minutes, washed in 60 per cent, alcohol and 

 stains in 0-5 per cent, watery toluidin blue or thionin solution. 

 Masson {Diagnosties de Laboratoire, 1923) substitutes erythrosin 

 for eosin. 



ScHAFFER {Centralb. Phijs., xxi, 1907, p. 258) fixes in 95 per 

 cent, alcohol or 2 parts alcohol to 1 of formol. Stains for half an 

 hour in 0-25 per cent, methylen or toluidin blue or thionin in 

 70 per cent, alcohol with 1 per cent, hydrochloric acid added. 



Levine {Journ. of Lab. and Clin. Med., xiv, 1928, p. 172) 

 fixes in any of the usual fluids and imbeds in paraffin, stains in 



