Ian,

All Scottish histo techs were taught to add a crystal of thymol to their
batches of eosin in the good old days.  If you did not have thymol then a
crystal of phenol would also do.  I think you will find that in the States
they use alcoholic eosin in the main with or without the addition of
phloxine and therefore a preservative is not really necessary.  I have had
to resort to this method when working in countries where the tap water was
just not suitable for good eosin staining to obtain consistent results.

The addition of calcium chloride, or calcium nitrate as original research
suggested, did not help either in those places.


Jim.

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At 14:47 27/08/99 +0000, Ian Montgomery wrote:
>Just Curious. Was making up a batch of eosin this morning and as I added
>the crystal of thymol to prevent growth of bugs etc. (well, that was what I
>was taught  when I was a boy so I've always done it that way) I wondered,
>does anybody else do this or am I a lone voice in the wilderness.
>Ian.
>
>Dr. Ian Montgomery,
>West Medical Building,
>University of Glasgow,
>Glasgow,
>G12 8QQ,
>Scotland.
>Tel: 0141 339 8855 Extn. 6602.
>Fax: 0141 330 4100.
>e-mail: ian.montgomery@bio.gla.ac.uk
>
>
>
>
>
Jim Hall,
MDA Equipment Evaluator,
Department of Histopathology,
University College London Hospitals,
Rockefeller Building,
University Street,
London, WC1E 6JJ.
Tel.No. 0171 209 6042
Fax 0171 387 3674