CONNECTIVE AND ELASTIC TISSUES 451 



ELASTIC TISSUE 



968. Elastic Tissue, Generalities. Elastic fibres have a great 

 allinity for osniiuin, staining with much more rapidity than most 

 other tissue elements. They are not changed by caustic soda or 

 potash. They are normally acidophilous, but are easily rendered 

 artificially basophilous by means of chromic acid or other mor- 

 dants, and then stain with great energy with basic dyes. Hence 

 a group of stains of which those of Lustgarten and Martinotti are 

 types. They have a natural affinity for orcein, whence stains of 

 the Taenzer-Unna type. 



For a review of the older methods of Balzer, Unna, Lust- 

 garten, and Herxheimer, see the paper by G. Martinottt, in 

 Zeit. roiss. Mik., iv, 1887, p. 31 ; also Enzijk. mik. Technik., art. 

 " Elastin." 



969. Victoria Blue (Lustgarten). See § 375. 



970. Safranin (G. Martinotti, loc. cit., § 968). Fix in a 

 chromic liquid, wash, stain for forty-eight hours in strong (5 per 

 cent. Pfitzner's) solution of safranin, wash, dehydrate, clear, and 

 mount in balsam. Elastic fibres black. 



The staining will be performed quicker if it be done at the temperature 

 of an incubating stove (Griesbach, ibid., iv, 1887, p. 442). See also 

 Ferria {ibid., v, 1888, p. 342). 



See also Mibelli, Mon. Zool. Italiano, 1, p. 17, or Zeit. iviss. Mik., vii, 

 1890, p. 225 (the report in Journ. Roy. Mic. Soc, 1890, p. 803, is vitiated 

 by a misprint). Other basic dyes have been recommended. 



971. Kresofuchsin (Rothig, see § 375). 



972. Orcein. This method is due to Taenzer, and as modified 

 by Unna is knowai as the Taenzer-Unna method, see third 

 edition, or Monatssch. prakt. Dermatol., xii, 1891, p. 394. 



Unna's Modified Orcein Method {Monatssch. prakt. Dermatol., 

 xix,|l894, p. 397 ; Zeit. wiss. Mik., xii, 1895, p. 240). Griibler's 

 orcein 1 part, hydrochloric acid 1 part, absolute alcohol 100 parts. 

 Stain sections for thirty to sixty minutes, or for ten to fifteen at 

 30° C, rinse in alcohol, clear, and mount. Elastin dark brown, 

 collagen light brown. 



See also Merk. Sitz. Akad. Wiss. Wien, cviii, 1899, p. 335 ; Pranter, 

 ibid., xix, 1903, p. 361 (he takes 2 per cent, of nitric acid instead of the 

 hydrochloric, and stains six to twenty-four hours) : Wolff, ibid., 

 p. 488 ; the article " Elastin " in Enzyk. mik. Technik. ; and E. and 

 T. Savini, Zeit wiss Mik., xxvi, 1909, p. 34. 



973. Weigert's Resorcin-Fuchsin Method {Centralb. allg. Path., 

 ix, 1898, p. 290). One per cent, of basic fuchsin and 2 per cent, 

 of resorcin (or of carbolic acid) are dissolved in water. Two 

 hundred cubic centimetres of the solution are raised to boiling- 

 point in a capsule, and 25 c.c. of Liquor ferri sesquichlorati P. G. 

 are added, and the whole is boiled, with stirring, for two to five 



15—2 



