Put that alcian blue in a safe Russ. Its a dollar a gram now and I think that 
it will soon reach US$9/gram - the price of gold.
You could finance your retirement with that.
Cheers
Jim Darley
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On Friday, July 07, 2000 6:44 PM, RUSS ALLISON [SMTP:Allison@Cardiff.ac.uk] 
wrote:
> It is many years now since a dye supplier (and manufacturer of
> some dyes) wrote to me and said alcian blue (8GX)  was about to
> "disappear" and was I interested in buying any of his remaining
> stock.
> I ordered two pounds (it was sold in Imperial weights), which I
> though could last the entire UK at least three years and my labs
> until Hell ran out of fuel.
> I've still got it (except a bit used for an exciting experiment ? how's
> it going Pete?) and it is still on the market.
> But it always was a dye with a funny history.
>
> Remember Jack Scott spending the best of his scientific years
> trying to establish its formula?  ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries)
> refusing to give him any help? - they held the patent.  And just
> when he cracked it, ICI announced they were to stop manufacture
> and told him anyway? (confirmed that he got it right actually).
>
> And what about Astrablau?
>
> And John Kiernan's comments about (not) washing out with water
> are relevant to those ladies looking to change the colour of their
> sandals, skirts, etc.  (And the chaps if they really think it is their
> colour!!)
>
>
> Russ Allison,
> Dental School
> Cardiff
> Wales