MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STAINING TECHNIQUES 



serves as an indicator of the amount of uranin present. Primulin, 

 thioflavine, rhodamine B, berberine sulphate have also been found 

 useful for intravital work. 



Many important discoveries in the biological field are due to 

 fluorescence microscopy and although a great many beautiful and 

 highly contrasting colour combinations have been obtained by the 

 techniques devised up to the present time, fluorescence microscopy 

 has scarcely yet emerged from the embryonic stage, and there is 

 tremendous scope for experiment and improvement both in regard 

 to technique and apparatus. 



4. Staining of Muscle 



Solutions required: 



A. Primulin o-i% aqueous. 



B. Sodium nitrite 2% aqueous. 



C. Hydrochloric acid, cone. . . 10 ml. 

 Distilled water . . . . . . 90 ml. 



D. Resorcinol, saturated aqueous 



solution. 



Technique: 



1. Sections are stained for two to five minutes with primulin 

 solution. 



2. Wash quickly; then immediately transfer to the sodium 

 nitrite to which has previously been added, with stirring, an equal 

 volume of the diluted hydrochloric acid (Solution C above), and 

 leave therein for fifteen to twenty minutes. 



3. Wash in water; then immerse for fifteen to thirty seconds in 

 the resorcinol solution. 



Results: 



Muscle tissue fluoresces with a strikingly luminous green 

 fluorescence. 



320 



