Since I worked with Martin, Lynn, and Nickey (it is Nickey, not Hickey) I can 
tell you a little about the "Paragon" stain.  We used it not for frozens but 
to stain the 0.5 micrometer plastic sections for EM.  A pinch of borax was 
added to the stain on the slide, not to the bottle.  The stain will 
deteriorate rapidly if borax is added to the bottle of solution.  I do not 
think that the borax will be necessary if the solution is used for staining 
frozens.  The alkalinity achieved by adding the borax when the solution is 
used for EM helps the stain penetrate the plastic.  The formula was on the 
last bottles of Paragon stain and is correct as given on histonet.  It is 
also in the EM chapter of my book as a toluidine blue - basic fuchsin stain 
(with the Martin etal reference).

Freida Carson