MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STAINING TECHNIQUES 



HAEMATOXYLIN - PICRO FUCHSIN 

 For nuclei, connective tissue, etc. 



Solutions required: 



A. Distilled water . . . . . . 47-5 ml. 



Ferric chloride, hydrated 4% 

 aqueous . . . . . . . . 2 ml. 



Hamaetoxylin 10% in absolute alco- 

 hol . . . . . . . . . . 0*4 ml. 



B. Picric acid, saturated, aqueous . . 20 ml. 

 Acid fuchsin 1% aqueous . . . . 0-5 ml. 



C. Picric acid, saturated in absolute 

 alcohol. 



Technique: 



1 . Tissues are fixed in Bouin and embedded in paraffin wax. 



2. Sections about 8ju, in thickness are fixed to slides, dewaxed 

 with xylol and taken through the usual descending grades of 

 alcohol to distilled water. 



3. Stain for two to three minutes in solution A. 



4. Differentiate and counterstain for about ten to fifteen seconds 

 in solution B, controlling under the microscope, until only the 

 nuclei are stained a greyish colour with the haematoxylin. 



5. Rinse immediately in distilled water. 



6. Dehydrate by dripping solution C onto the slide. 



7. Clear with Terpineal. 



8. Mount directly with Michrome mountant, or rinse with 

 xylol, then mount with Clearmount or Cristalite. 



Results: 



Chromatin, black to grey. Muscle, yellow. Connective tissue, 

 red. Keratinized regions, bright yellow. Cytoplasm, yellow. 



Reference: Margolena, L. A. and Dolnick, E. H. (1951), Stain Tech., vol. 26, 

 pp. 1 1 9-2 1. 



122 



