NASAL PASSAGES 



221 



NECROBIOSIS 



cells with either of the dyea is indica- 

 tive of cell death. The supra-vital 

 staining technique was applied to the 

 study of nasal secretion by Pfiugsten, 

 M. G., in 1933 and reported to the 

 E. N. T. clinical conference, Barnes 

 Hospital (unpublished). It is possible 

 to distinguish cells which are stimu- 

 lated to activity from degenerating 

 cells with this technique. A good azure 

 stain may be obtained by using 10-12 

 drops of Wright's stain in absolute al- 

 cohol, but this is more toxic than Neu- 

 tral Red. 



5. Papanicolaou Stain. This stain, 

 as developed by Papanicolaou, G. N. 

 (Science, 1942, 95, 438-439) is the first 

 satisfactory stain and fixation found 

 which permits accurate identification 

 of the different types of epithelial cells 

 found in nasal exudates. Ciliated 

 columnar cells are well preserved and 

 can be readily identified from the 

 squamous and basal types. The nu- 

 clear detail of all cells in this stain is 

 very sharp and clear. The eosinophilic 

 granules, however, are not as distinct 

 as in the other stains. Slight modifica- 

 tions can be made to bring out certain 

 details in nasal smears. The chromatin 

 masses may be more distinct when the 

 time in hematoxylin is shortened to 

 2 to 3 min. The granules of the eosin- 

 ophilic cells and other acidophilic bod- 

 ies are brighter red if the time in eosin 

 is increased to 3 min., or, if a trace of 

 phlo.xine is added (0.5% solution in 95% 

 alcohol). All cellular details disclosed 

 by the Papanicolaou stain are revealed 

 by Wright's stain, even the patterns of 

 epithelial degeneration, but they are 

 noted with greater difficulty. 



It follows that one stain is not suffi- 

 cient to see all cellular details to the 

 best advantage. It seems important 

 to use several staining methods on the 

 same material to obtain more complete 

 knowledge of cellular responses. The 

 smears, with their cellular patterns, 

 may be considered to be an approximate 

 index of the pathological processes oc- 

 curring in the tissues. 

 Nasal Passages. The fluid, when present 

 in unusual amounts can obviously be 

 studied in Smears. Nasal clearance 

 depends upon the movement by the 

 cilia toward the pharynx of a mucous 

 sheet (to which foreign materials be- 

 come attached) over a layer of fluid in 

 which the cilia act as can be demon- 

 strated by the techniques of Lucas, 

 A. M. and Douglas, L. C, Arch. Oto- 

 laryng.. 1934, 20, 518-641 and others. 

 Methods for Mucus and Cilia are given 

 under their respective headings. The 

 wall of the nasal passages exhibits 



marked regional diversity (Hilding, A., 

 Arch. Otolaryng., 1932, 16, 9-18). The 

 nasal mucous membrane covering the 

 septum can be removed in toto by the 

 dilute acetic acid method (see Epider- 

 mis) and examined as a whole mount 

 which gives valuable data impossible to 

 secure from the study of sections. 

 Those interested in wound healing would 

 do well to consult a paper by Boling, 

 L. R., Arch. Otolaryng., 1935, 22, 689- 

 724. An easy and graphic method for 

 visualization of lymphatic drainage is 

 described under Lymphatic Vessels. 

 For numerous suggestions as to tech- 

 nique see Proetz, A. Applied Physi- 

 ology of the Nose. St. Louis: Annals 

 Publishing Co., 1941, 395 pp. 



Nasal Sinuses. The mechanism of clear- 

 ance is similar. To make sections of 

 the nasal sinuses, especially the smaller 

 ones, fixation in Formalin Zenker is 

 suggested followed by Decalcification 

 and Celloidin Imbedding. The sec- 

 tions can be stained by the method best 

 adapted to the purpose in mind. 



Nasmyth's Membrane, see Enamel cuticle. 



n-Butyl Alcohol (prophylcarbinol). Rec- 

 ommended by Stiles (K. A., Stain 

 Techn., 1934, 9, 97-100) to replace 

 higher concentrations of alcohol in histo- 

 logical technique especially for lightly 

 chitinized insects but also as a routine 

 for vertebrates. After fixation in Gil- 

 son's Fluid pass the tissues through 

 35% (ethyl) alcohol ^1 hr.; 90 cc. 45% 

 ale. + 10 cc. butyl, 2 hrs.; 80 cc. 62% 

 ale. -f 20 cc. butyl, 2 hrs.; 65 cc. 77% 

 ale. + 35 cc. butyl, 4 hrs.; 45 cc. 90% 

 ale. + 55 cc. butyl, 6 hrs. to days; 25 

 cc. abs. ale. + 75 cc. butyl, 6 hrs. to 

 over night; butyl 2 changes several 

 hrs. (or store in butyl if desired). To 

 imbed transfer to mixture of butyl and 

 paraffin and to paraffin, n Butyl alcohol 

 is helpful in making permanent prepara- 

 tions of tissues freshly stained with 

 Methylene Blue, which see. It should 

 not be confused with Tertiary Butyl 

 Alcohol. 



Necrobiosis was for Minot (C. S., The 

 Problem of Age, Growth and Death. 

 New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1908, 

 280 pp.) a condition in which the cells 

 continue to live but change their chemi- 

 cal organization so that their substance 

 passes from a living to a dead state. 

 "Here (he says) life and death play 

 together and go hand in hand." The 

 term is current but is of little use be- 

 cause it has no advantage over the word 

 Necrosis for the disorganization of 

 death seldom if ever takes place simul- 

 taneously throughout the substance of 

 any living thing. See Dead Cells. 



