26 THE AMERICAN M01^ITHLY [February, 



Notices of new methods. — I. 



By GEORGE C. FREEBORN, M. D., 



INSTRUCTOR IN NORMAL HISTOLOGY, COLLEGK OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS, NEW YORK. 



I. STAINING OF ELASTIC FIBRES. 



Lustgarten, S.* — Victoria blue, a new stain for elastic fibres and for 

 nuclei. 



The author uses victoria blue, a basic aniline dye, made by the Baden 

 Soda and Aniline Manufacturing Co. The fresh tissues are hardened in 

 Flemming's fluid for 24 to 48 hours, thep further hardened in alcohol. 

 Sections are stained in a mixture of 1 to 2 paits of a concentrated alco- 

 holic solution of the dye, and 4 parts of water, for 24 hours ; then washed 

 quickly (5 to 10 seconds) in alcohol, drained, cleared in oil of bergamot 

 and mounted in balsam. 



Connective tissue and cells stain faint green, nuclei a darker green, elastic 

 fibres a light green, but they stand out sharply. 



Herxheimer, KarLj — A new staining method for the elastic fibres of the 

 skin. 



Good pictures are obtained with tissues hardened in picric acid, alcohol, 

 and Flemming's fluid ; the best results are obtained with tissues hardened in 

 Miiller's fluid. The sections should not be over o.03 mm. thick, and are 

 stained in a mixture of i c.c. of hcematoxylin tincture (obtained from Dr. 

 Griibler in Leipzig), J 30 c.c. of alcohol, 20 c,c. of water, and i c.c. of a 

 saturated solution, in water, of lithium carbonate. Alum solutions of 

 htematoxylin may be employed ; good pictures have been obtained with 

 Heidenhein's ^% and with Weigert's solution, but, as a rule, the best results 

 are obtained with the above alcoholic solution. After the sections have 

 remained in the staining fluid for from 3 to 5 minutes they are removed and 

 placed in a dish of the officinal solution of the chloride of iron for 5 to 20 

 seconds. In this solution an iron lake is formed with the hematoxylin, and 

 immediately the decolorization takes place. After removing from the iron 

 solution, the sections are well washed in water, clouds of color being given 

 ofl", then dehydrated in alcohol, cleared in oil of cloves, and mounted in 

 balsam. The alcohol and water used for dehydi^ating and washing must be 

 frequently renewed as they soon become acid. 



The elastic fibres stain a blue-black and stand out sharply upon the under- 

 laying connective tissue, which is stained a more or less light gray, often 

 shading ofl" into a bluish tint. Nuclei sometimes stain black. 



Martinotti, G.§ — A simple method of staining elastic fibres. 



The tissues are hardened in a 0.2% solution of chromic acid. Sections are 

 well washed in water and stained for 48 hours in the following mixture : — 

 Safranin, 5 gms.; alcohol, 100 c.c; allow this to stand for several days, and 

 then add 200 c.c. of water. The sections, after being removed from the 

 stain, are washed in water, dehydrated in alcohol, cleared in oil of cloves, 

 and mounted in balsam. 



The elastic fibres stain deep black ; nuclei deep red ; the rest of the tissues 

 diffusely red. 



3. SUBSTITUTES FOR HCEMATOXYLIN. 



Paneth, Jos.ll — On the employment of the extract of logwood, in place 

 of pure ha^matoxylin. 



* Weiner med. Jahrbucher, 1886, p. 285. 



tP'ortschr. d. Med. Bd. iv, 1886, p. 785 



t'rhis tincture is a concentrated alcoholic solution of hcematoxylin. 



§ Zeitsch. f. Wiss. Mikros , Bd. iv, 1886, p. 31. 



II Zeitsch. f. Wiss. Mikros., Bd. iv, 1887, p. 213. 



