STAINS. 37 
STAINS. 
The following stains are all that is really necessary 
for the vast majority of purposes :—methylene blue, 
basic fuchsin, gentian violet, thionin, and water-soluble 
eosin. Bismarck brown may also be obtained. Ten 
grammes will last the practitioner for a long time, and 
this amount costs from 7d. to 1s. They should be of 
Gribler’s make, and can be obtained from R. Kanthack, 
Berners St., W.; Messrs. Baird and Tatlock, Hatton 
Garden and Renfrew St., Glasgow; A. Frazer, Teviot 
Place, Edinburgh ; and from Messrs. Southall or Philip 
Harris, Birmingham. Other firms will also supply 
stains, but Griibler’s should always be specified. 
They are conveniently kept in a saturated solution of 
absolute alcohol. The following formule are the most 
useful :— 
1. A saturated watery solution of methylene blue.—This 
does not keep very well, and a fresh amount should be 
prepared after a month. It is mostly used for staining 
blood-films. Léffler’s blue will serve every purpose in 
bacteriological work. 
2. Léffier’s methylene blue is prepared by adding 30 c.c. 
of saturated solution of methylene blue (alcoholic) to 
100 c.c. of a I in 10,000 solution of caustic potash. 
The potash solution is prepared thus:—Take 1 c.c. of 
a Io per cent. solution of caustic potash and make up to 
roo c.c. with water; shake thoroughly and pour away 
go c.c; make up to 100 c.c. with water, and again shake. 
A sufficiently close approximation is made by adding 1 
minim of the ro per cent. solution to 2 oz. of water. 
This stain keeps fairly well. 
