Histotechs;
There is everything from smooth adoption and irate rejection of the new
means of using Hematoxylin, that barky stuff Ehrilch discovered to be
useful in staining tissues long ago. I usually tell about GILLS III,
then duck the diatribes that come usually bark back at me. Folks, I
mixed my Hematoxylin and ripened it on the roof like the pioneers did.
As I more likely got rain on it than maturing sun light here in Oregon,
I was delighted to hear about instant mercuric ripening of the stain. I
Can't believe it,  we used to play with mercury like children.  So when
hematoxylin preps came along that were already ripened, I thought the
glory days were here.  Well, all the mixes later---of which Mayers and
Harris were dominant for so long, and  have lately given way to GILLS I,
II, and III mixtures. Heated responses result  from discussions of which
of these very good mixes, all of them,  ranging all the way from you
techs who still ripen the stuff on the roof, to those who idolize the
GILLs III.  Tempers flare.  The Tower Of Babel was sweet talking Nice
Town compared to some of the heat a tech will take when he tells the
world about how well his favorite Hematoxylin stain works. Folks, when
ever one of the improvements came along, I got some.  I set up my
hematoxylin as usual and set up the new candidate and ran them side by
side.  I then asked all hands---techs, doctors, my wife----which one
they liked better.  Which ever one won, I kept ( ssshhh, provided I
liked it too).  The use of GILLS III at my retirement was a result of
tests  in my lab with residents and pathologists, as well as massive
trials in the main lab, comparisons of the old and the
new----side-by-side trials on the same tissues---no  one cussed---no one
drew back---the matter was so straight forward, it was quickly settled.
And in every side-by-side trial the GILLS II, at first, and then the
GILLS III, won. There was no question about it.  The slides did the
talking. The rangling on the histonet about Hematoxylins resemble  the
Scholastic Age of Reverence to Ariistotle----kneeling  to
Authority---the authority usually being a person's personal habit.
Folks, it doesn't really hurt to allow improvements into one's life. The
increased quality and the usually simpler processes, are gifts available
to the receptive tech. And in the background, the patients being served
with the stain investigations are better served. 
Now then, I sign my name---Gus Swanser.----oh phooey, I might as well
put my real name down and duck.
georgecole@ev1.net
          
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