CHAPTER XXIX. 



CONNECTIVE TiySUES. 



Connective Tissue. 



681. General Stains for Connective Tissue. — Connective tissue, 

 elastic tissue, and smooth muscle ai'e all normally acido- 

 jjhilous. Collagen, the distinctive element of connective 

 tissue, absolutely requires " acid " dyes for the production 

 of a permanent stain, whilst elastic tissue and muscle will 

 also fix " basic " dyes. Collagen has a special affinity for 

 Saurefuchsin and Wasserblau. Blastin has a strong affinity 

 for acid orcein, whilst muscle has no special affinity for 

 either, but stains energetically with picric acid. 



Picrn'Saurefuchsiyi is much used and very convenient as a 

 general differentiating stain, but not to be recommended for 

 cytological detail. See Schapfee, Zeit. ids'-'. Zool., Ixxx, 

 1905, p. 176. 



B. and T. Savini recommend Benda's picro-saurefuchsin, 

 § 299. 



EiinLTCfi-BiONDi mixture gives connective tissue red, but 

 smooth muscle redder still. 



Unna's Wasserhlau-orcein for distinguishing connective 

 tissue and. muscle has been given, § 676. It works after all 

 fixatives. Stain long, and dehydrate preferably with acid 

 alcohol. 



FuEEnoRN {Amer. Mon. Mic. Journ., 1888, p. 231) recom- 

 mends (for sections) jticro-nigrosin, made by mixing 5 c c. of 

 1 per cent, aqncous solution of nigrosin, with 45 c.c. of 

 aqueous solution of picric acid. Stain for three to five 

 minutes, wash with watei-, and mount in balsam. Connective 

 tissue bine, nuclei blachish, the rest j'ellowish. 



Ramon y Cajal's incro-indigo-carmine gives connective- 

 tissue fibres dark blue, with red nuclei. 



S. Mayer {8ild>. I: Ahail. IRv.?., Ixxxv, 1882, p. 69) 



