AN INVESTIGATION OF AMERICAN STAINS 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON BACTERIOLOGICAL TECHNIC 



Prepared by H. J. CONN, Chairman^ 

 New York Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, New York 

 Received for publication October 16, 1921 



Early in 1920 the Committee on Bacteriological Technic was 

 asked to look up the matter of biological stains at present available 

 in America and to see what could be done toward standard- 

 izing them. At present it is difUcult, if not impossible, to obtain 

 the (Jriibler stains, and the American products are known to 

 be variable. The impression has even been common that 

 American dyes are generally imsatisfactoiy for staining. 



Upon looking into the matter, the committee has found that 

 many American stains are as good or even better than the old 

 Griibler stains, except for certain special uses which their pro- 

 ducers did not have in mind when preparing their products. 

 Certain American producers of biological stains are trying 

 very hard to put on the market an entirely satisfactory line of 

 goods. The difficulty comes from the fact that the field is a 

 small one, and so much competition has arisen that no one can 

 make a satisfactory pi'ofit. The danger is that soon the American 

 producers will all be driven out of the busmess and importation 

 of stains will again be necessary. We do not desire to be depend- 

 ent upon foreign production in this line, because of the great 

 importance of stains in public health work and the possibility 

 of another national emergency when importation will be im- 

 possible. To relieve the situation, therefore, some one manu- 

 facturer must be given enough support to make the business 

 profitable for him. This means standardizing on one line of 

 stains, either all produced by the same house, or if produced by 

 different concerns, each particular stain coming from one manu- 

 facturer only. 



' For the numerous collaborators in this work, see list at end of the report. 



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