294 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Oct. 



MICROSCOPICAL MANIPULATION. 



A Method of Staining Connective Tissue. — It has been 

 observed, especially by Lubarsch, that in Weigert's method for 

 staining fibrin several other tissue constituents became stained 

 as well as fibrin. Beneke, experimenting with the method, 

 found that connective tissue is often stained by it. He now de- 

 scribes {Centralblattf. Allgem. Path., July 28th, 1893), a modifi- 

 cation of Weigert's fibrin method, by which the connective tis- 

 sues of the most diverse organs can be consistently stained. 

 Amongst these are, the spider cells and their prolongations with 

 brain substance; the fine fibrous networks between the pia and 

 cortex and around the ventricles are stained by the process. 



The fibrous meshwork of sclerosed tissue is shown remark- 

 ably well. The principle of Beneke's method lies in the fact 

 that the Weigert stain is not a specific stain for fibrin ; it has an 

 affinity, though less marked, for several other of the tissue con- 

 stituents. 



The stain is aniline water gentian violet, the differenti- 

 ating (decolorising) fluid a mixture of aniline oil and xylol 

 (2 to 1) and of tliese two ingredients the aniline oil only is di- 

 rectly operative ; tlie xylol merely acts as a controlling agent, 

 having no decolorising power. It appeared probable, therefore, 

 that an increase in the proportion of xylol would further weaken 

 the action of the aniline xylol, and that various tissue elements 

 might be shown which are incapable of demonstration by the 

 original method. Upon this principle Beneke based his method, 

 which is as follows: Portions of tissue fixed in alcohol are cut 

 in paraffin, sections fixed upon the slide, and stained with ani- 

 line gentian violet (10 parts aniline oil shaken into fine emul- 

 sion with 100 parts water and filtered, add to the filtrate 5 to 

 10 parts concentrated gentian violet alcoholic solution) for ten 

 to twenty minutes. Treat for one minute with lugol solution 

 of a port wine tint, dry with fiker paper, and decolorise with 

 aniline xylol (aniline oil 2 parts, xylol 3 parts). Experience 

 is necessary to decide the moment at which to stop further de- 

 colorisation by the action of xylol. Mount in xylol balsam. 

 The connective tissue fibres are stained various shades of violet. 

 British Medical Journal, 1893, No. 1705. 



