Re: alternate stain for b & b
The older tissue Gram stains required diethyl ether, or acetone, both of them
fire and explosion hazards.
The Brown-Hopps stain, usually cited from the AFIP manual (3rd ed. 1968, page
224), uses ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (trade name Cellosolve) as a
differentiating agent. This material, although an ether, is not a fire
hazard. (Ethers are a class of chemical compounds of widely varying
properties. The term "ether' by itself usually means diethyl ether, the
now-banned anesthetic agent and notorious refrigerator bomber.)
I have seen this stain perform in many laboratories, and have gotten it set
up more than once. Pathologists put far too much reliance on tissue-section
Gram stains, which are much less reliable than their microbiological
counterparts. If you're just looking for bacteria, you're much better off
with a simple thiazine dye such as the Diff-Quik II technique commonly used
for Helicobacter pylori.
Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN
<< Previous Message | Next Message >>