even Victoria got the blues

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From:RSRICHMOND@aol.com
To:histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Reply-To:
Date:Sat, 14 Aug 1999 13:38:30 EDT
Content-Type:text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

In a message dated 8/13/99 7:49:29 PM, Lynn Gardner asks:

<<Does anyone know if Victoria Blue 4R and Victoria Blue B are the same 
thing? If not does anyone know where Victoria Blue 4R can be purchased? A 
quick answer would be most appreciated.>>

and Katri Tuomala replies:
>>Victoria blue 4R (C.I. No. 42563) and Victoria blue B (C.I.No. 44045) are 
not the same dye. I don't know a distributor off hand.<<

R.D. Lillie (in H.J. Conn's Biological Stains, 9th ed 1977, page 298) 
describes these dyes and several more, noting that they were often confused 
in the literature. Among them was Night Blue (C.I. 44085).

I recall seeing one of them used in a complex method from Japan, published in 
one of the American pathology journals in the last ten years.

They are triarylmethyl dyes related to the fuchsins, and they have been used 
in acid fast techniques for color blind workers. Such a stain was in use at 
the NIH maybe thirty years ago.

More than one Victoria Blue was listed in the 1992 Sigma catalog.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist



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