Gayle,

Oh Boy! A trip down memory lane.
I haven't done this since the late 50's!
Had to do a couple of hundred mouse,rat and rabbit fetuses, during a
teratogenic study of a new drug.
The technique of choice is Dawson's(1926) or one of the minor modifications
to it. This technique was originally just Alizarin for bone however, by
inserting an alcian blue step just prior to saponification in KOH, one can
achieve the combination of cartilage-blue, bone red, that is so elegant.
Be prepared for this to take some time. An increase in speed may be obtained
by evisceration and removal of the skin/fur and by the acetone step.
Full details of the Dawson technique can be found in Bancroft's "Theory and
practice of histological techniques" and in any edition of Culling's
"Handbook of Histopath. and Histochem. techniques", including Russ Allison's
4th ed., which was renamed"Cellular pathology technique".

Regards

Bryan

> ----------
> From: 	Gayle Callis[SMTP:uvsgc@msu.oscs.montana.edu]
> Sent: 	August 26, 1999 11:07 AM
> To: 	histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject: 	ossification
> 
> I have seen fetuses stained with alizarin red S and alcian blue. 
> 
> Cartilage vs bone is clearly distinguished, and
> the samples where stained as whole mounts. Have never done it, but seen
> photos in publications, spectacular preparations!  Hopefully someone who
> has done this, will come forth with their tried and true method. 
> 
> Gayle Callis
>