Section Cutting and Staining: A practical introduction to histological methods for students and practitionersColman, Walter S.
Science
Section Cutting and Staining: A practical introduction to histological methods for students and practitioners
Colman, Walter S.
Microscopy
*Chloride of gold* is employed to demonstrate the peripheral
terminations of nerves. It can only be employed within the first half
hour after the tissue has been removed from the living body. The pieces
of tissue must be small and may be stained in bulk, sections being
subsequently made.
A half per cent. solution in distilled water is employed. The tissue
is transferred to this on its removal from the body, until it becomes
lemon coloured. It is then exposed in a one per cent. solution of
acetic acid to a strong light until it assumes a purplish tinge,
which takes from two hours to two days. Sections should be mounted in
Farrant’s medium. It stains the cells of the tissue, and nerve cells
reddish purple, and nerve fibrils, especially the terminal ones, rather
more violet. This is very well seen in the cornea.
It is useful sometimes for clinical purposes to excise a portion
of muscular tissue and examine the nerve endings by this method.
Unfortunately the stain is somewhat uncertain in its action. Better
results are obtained by Sihler’s chloral hæmatoxyline method (p. 92).
*Methyl violet.*--A very satisfactory solution may be obtained ready
made in the “telegraphen tinte,” prepared by Leonhardi, of Dresden,
as recommended by Woodhead. It may also be used as a one per cent.
solution in distilled water, a few drops of carbolic acid being added
to prevent the growth of fungi.
It is a very useful selective stain. It gives two reactions, red
violet, and blue violet. Thus it stains the matrix of hyaline
cartilage blue violet, but the cells red violet. It has also a most
important pathological application, as it picks out any parts which
have undergone “waxy” or “lardaceous” degeneration, staining them red
violet, but the rest of the section blue violet.
About ten drops of a one per cent. solution should be filtered into
a watchglassful of water, and the sections stained for about five
minutes. They must then be passed through a half per cent. solution of
acetic acid and washed *thoroughly* for some time in a large quantity
of water till no more colour comes away.
If these steps are not taken with care, the dye will diffuse out after
the section has been mounted, blurring all details and spoiling the
appearance of the section.
Sections may be mounted in Farrant’s solution (to which a spot of
formic acid may be added): if mounted in Canada balsam the sections
must be overstained as both the alcohol and oil of cloves rapidly
dissolve out the dye.
*Safranine.*--Employed as a freshly made saturated solution in aniline
oil water warmed to 60° C. (140° F.). Filter into a watch glass. Stain
for not more than a minute. Dehydrate in alcohol which will remove much
of the stain, clarify in oil of cloves or origanum oil. Mount in balsam.
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