STAINS AND STAINING 
67 
Acid Fuchsin and Iodine Green Mixtures.—Two solutions are 
kept separate, since they do not retain their efficiency long after 
they are mixed: 
^ f Fuchsin acid. 0.1 g. 
\ Distilled water. 50.0 c.c. 
g f Iodine green. 0.1 g. 
\ Distilled water. 50.0 c.c. 
{ Absolute alcohol. 100.0 c.c. 
Glacial acetic acid. 1.0 c.c. 
Iodine. 0.1 g. 
Mix equal parts of A and B. Transfer to the stain from water. 
The proper time must be determined by experiment. For a trial, 
24 hours might be recommended. Transfer from the stain directly 
to solution C and from C to xylol. 
A. Acid fuchsin. 0.5 g. 
B. Iodine green. 0.5 g. 
Mix a pipette full of A with a pipette full of B; stain 2 to 8 
minutes; transfer to 85 per cent or 95 per cent alcohol, dehydrate 
rapidly, clear in xylol, and mount in balsam. Both these formulas 
are good for mitosis. 
Acid Fuchsin and Methyl Green.—Both may be used in 1 per 
cent aqueous solutions. 
For mitotic figures, stain in green for about an hour, wash in 
water or alcohol until the green is extracted from the spindle, and 
then stain for about 1 minute in the fuchsin. Dehydrate in 95 
and 100 per cent alcohol, clear in xylol or clove oil, and mount in 
balsam. If the green washes out, stain longer; if it is not readily 
extracted from the spindle, shorten the period. If the fuchsin stains 
the chromosomes, shorten the period, and lengthen it if the fuchsin 
washes out from the spindle. The chromosomes should take a 
brilliant green and the spindle a bright red. 
Delafield’s Haematoxylin and Erythrosin.—Stain first in the 
haematoxylin, and after that stain is satisfactory, stain for 30 seconds 
or 1 minute in erythrosin. This is a good combination, and, for 
most plant structures, gives a far better differentiation than the 
traditional haematoxylin and eosin, since the erythrosin has all the 
advantages of the eosin and is more transparent. Orange G is also 
a good stain to use with Delafield’s haematoxylin. 
