I don't know why, but all my best stories are against myself. This is the latest.

I recently had a skin in which there was finely particulate pigment, rather deep, and slightly but definitely favouring sweat gland basement membranes. "Ah" thought I - "got it - silver".
The next port of call was microbiology for a darkground microscope. Delighted I was when the material shone through like the stars in the desert. As readers may anticipate, that is exactly what silver was supposed to do.

I sent it to the local centre of excellence for EDAX, having already spoken to the recipient and telling him that he would be receiving it, but I was going to do an iron and melanin stain first.
It got neglected, and I suddenly refound it and in a hurry sent it off without doing these stain.
Yes readers, the report came back that they had stained it for iron and it was positive.
I have implored the recipient to not tell anyone in exchange for good money, but I'm sure it will be too late.

So, what is the specificity/range of things that shine through darkground illumination? I can't find the answer. From the fact that this test was mentioned for silver, there seemed to me to be an implication that other common things like iron would not so behave.

Can anyone put me right?

Dr Terry L Marshall, B.A.(Law), M.B.,Ch.B.,F.R.C.Path
 Consultant Pathologist
 Rotherham General Hospital
 South Yorkshire
 England
        terry.marshall@rothgen.nhs.uk

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