On Sun, 27 Aug 2000, Smith, Allen wrote:

> I used to use brazilin, but I have been unable to find it lately.  Where can
> I buy it?

   Dear Allen,  Your question may be of wider interest, so I'm
   forwarding the answer to HistoNet, in the hope that someone
   knows a less expensive supplier. I could find Brazilin in only
   two catalogues. Details below.

   I like alum-brazilin as a red nuclear stain, but the dyestuff
   has become ridiculously expensive in the last 10 years or so.
   I've still got a bit left over from the 1970s when its price
   wasn't in any way remarkable.
   
   Brazilin. CI 74280  Natural red 24
   ICN Biomedicals Inc. Cat # 154862  US$58 for 1 gm.
   VWR Canlab Rare & Fine Chemicals. Cat # 205613  US$1776.50 for 10 gm.
     (VWR say they can supply smaller amounts!)
   The 2nd of these catalogues is more recent (2000). It seems
   to be an ICN catalog in a VWR wrapper.

   Brazilwood chips can be bought for back-to-nature home dyeing.
   Brazilin is obtained by evaporating an alcoholic extract, in
   just the same way that haematoxylin is made from logwood.
   Sounds easy if you have the time; I've never tried it myself. 
   
   Some years ago a Histonetter in Australia reported having
   made some workable haematoxylin out of home-grown logwood,
   and there was other correspondence about this and brazilin
   around the same time. It should be in the Archives.

 John A. Kiernan,
 Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology,
 The University of Western Ontario,
 LONDON,  Canada  N6A 5C1