This subject is hardly ever mentioned in texts or lectures, but is actually
quite well known.  Wearing gloves would stop a lot of it but not all.
Squames also fall from facial skin and the hair.  Before sectioning I
usually scrub my hands, including the back and between fingers, with a stiff
brush, soap and warm water.  This usually gets rid of most of it.

Bryan Llewellyn

----- Original Message -----
From: Linda Jenkins <jlinda@ces.clemson.edu>
To: <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
Sent: May 5, 2000 8:39 AM
Subject: Skin problems?


> Dear HistoNetter's,
> Here's a "good" one.  I was told this morning, by a researcher,
> that she could identify 2 out of the four histologist who had sectioned
her
> slides by the random epithelial cells scattered over her slides and
> recommended that gloves should probably be worn when sectioning.  For
those
> of us who follow the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series of forensic murder
mysteries,
> it is no secret that we come equipped with zillions of identifying fibers,
> hairs and cells leading to our capture in case we get up to "no-good"
> deeds.  However, I didn't realize we were leaving our skin cells in the
> water bath.  Is this common knowledge, or have I been working all these
> years with pathologist's who just ignored these tell-tell signs?
> Very curious,
> Linda
>
> *********************************
> Linda Jenkins, HT
> Clemson University
> Department of Bioengineering
> 864.656.5553
> **********************************
>
>