Hi everyone!
Since I had a few requests for the recipe, I'm posting it for anyone
interested. This is very similar, but not quite the same as the
Humberstone method Eric Kellar quoted.

Miller staining solution:

Victoria blue 4R            1g
New fuchsin                 1g
Crystal violet              1g

Dissolve above in 200 ml of hot distilled water (use a 600ml or bigger
beaker), then add the following:

Resorcin                    4g
Dextrin                     1g
30% Ferric chloride        50ml (freshly prepared)

Boil for 5 minutes, then filter while hot. Transfer precipitate plus the
filter paper to original beaker and re-dissolve in 200 ml of 95%
ethanol. Boil on a hot plate for 15 - 20 minutes (with filter paper and
all). Filter and make up to 200 ml with 95% ethanol. Add 2 ml
concentrated hydrochloric acid. This solution may be used repeatedly and
keeps several months.

Method:

1. Bring sections to water.
2. Oxidize in 0.5% potassium permanganate...5 min. Rinse in dist. water.
3. Decolorize in 1% oxalic acid ...2-3 min. Rinse in dist.water.
4. Rinse in 95% ethanol and transfer into staining solution .. 1-3
hours.
5. Rinse in 95% ethanol to remove excess stain.
6. Rinse well in dist.water and counterstain in van Gieson's ...5 min.
7. Dehydrate, clear and mount.

Results: Elastic fibres and mast cell granules .... black.
         Other tissue components as counterstained.

Reference: J.Med.Lab.Tech. vol 28, 1971 pg.148

Techs and pathologists are very happy with this method, since there is
no need for subjective differentiating step and results are consistent.
Katri

Katri Tuomala
St.Joseph's Hospital
Hamilton,ON,Canada