44 SPECIFIC STAINS. 



Stains connective tissue corpuscles, and cartilage cells, but 

 is principally used for tracing nerve endings. Can only be 

 used for fresh, tissues. 



The methods used are very numerous and will be found 

 well abstracted in Lee's Vade-mecum. 



For fixed connective tissue corpuscles the following is the 

 simplest. 



(i.) A small piece of perfectly fresh tissue is placed in a 

 |- p. c. solution for half an hour, the solution being kept in 

 the dark ; the tissue becomes yellow ; it is then washed in 

 Distilled Water and exposed to daylight in Distilled Water, 

 acidulated slightly with Acetic Acid. In a couple of days the 

 tissue becomes purplish or violet brown, and must be mounted 

 in Glycerine. 



(iii.) For tracing nerve-fibres the process known as Ran- 

 vier's Lemon-Juice Method is generally applicable. 



The fresh, tissue is soaked in Lemon juice for 5 to 10 

 minutes (40 grains of Citric Acid in an ounce of water forms 

 a convenient substitute) ; it is then rapidly washed in Dis- 

 tilled Water and transferred to a 1 p. c. Gold Chloride solu- 

 tion for from 10 minutes to 1 hour, according to the nature 

 of the tissue. After washing in Water it is placed in 50 cc. 

 of Water containing 2 drops of Acetic Acid and exposed to the 

 light, or if we do not wish to retain the superficial epithe- 

 lium after treating with. Lemon Juice and Gold, the tissue 

 is placed for 24 hours in Formic Acid (Sp. gr. 1-2) diluted 

 with three times its volume of Water, and kept in the dark. 



NITRATE OP SILVER. 



J- p. c. solution in Distilled Water. 



Used for staining the tesselated epithelium of serous mem- 

 branes, lymphatics and blood-vessels, the matrix of connective 



