Romanowsky Staining with Buffered Solutions, III. Extension of the Method to Romanowsky Stains in General

Solutions at 0.3 g. per 100 cc. of equal parts of glycerin and methyl alcohol of various Wright, Giemsa, Leishman and Balch stains and similar eosinates of thiazene dyes give satisfactory wholesale staining of sections without differentiation when buffered with citric-acid and sodium-phosphate. Prestaining with alum hematoxylin adds to depth, density and permanence of nuclear staining, but decreases clarity. A satisfactory modification of Mayer's acid hemalum is described. The reaction should be pH 4.2 for neutral formalin or Orth fixation, pH 4.6 for acid formalin, pH 5.0 for Zenker formalin and pH 6.5 for ethyl or methyl alcohol or Carney fixation. Toluidine blue phloxhiate is found to be a quite desirable stain and its preparation is described. Clarite and clarite are definitely superior to neutral Canada balsam, and somewhat inferior in regard to fading compared with liquid petrolatum as mounting media for these Romanowsky stains.