Testing for Iron 235 



procedure: 



1. Deparaffinize and hydrate slides to water. 



2. Wash in distilled water: 3 minutes. 



3. Treat with ferrocyanide-hydrochloric acid, 56°C: 10 minutes. 



4. Rinse, several changes distilled water: 5 minutes. 



5. Counterstain with safranin (or other red nuclear stain): 2-3 

 miniues. 



6. Rinse in 70% alcohol. 



7. Dehydrate, clear, and mount. 



results: 



iron pigment — brilliant greenish-bltie 



nuclei — red 



other tissue elements — shades of red and rose 



comments: 



Hutchison claims that the warm sokition is the most important step 

 in this method. Do not leave the slides in the solution longer than 10 

 minutes, and if they ha\e been well washed in distilled water, pre- 

 cipitate seldom forms on the sections. In the author's experience, this 

 method produces deeper, more brilliant colors than Gomori's 

 method. 



Turnbull Blue Method for Ferrous Iron (pearse, 1953) 



fixation: 10% buffered formalin; other general fixatives satisfactory if 

 acid is absent. 



solutions: 



Ammonitmi sulfide: a saturated solution (NH4):..S, 20-30% content, 

 analytical reagent. 



Potassiiuii ferricyanide: 



potassium ferricyanide, K3Fe(CN)y 20.0 gm. 



distilled water 100.0 ml. 



Hydrochloric acid: 



hydrochloric acid (sp.gr. 1.188-1.192, 37-38% 



HCl) I.O ml. 



distilled water 100.0 ml. 



Safranin, see page 233. 



procedure: 



1. DeparaHmize and hydrate slides to water; remove HgCl-. 



2. Wash in distilled water. 



